India to face Pakistan in opening match of inaugural Kho Kho World Cup on January 13

New Delhi: Hosts India will face arch rivals Pakistan in the opening match of the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup on January 13, the organisers announced on Wednesday.

As many as 24 countries have confirmed their participation in the week-long event (January 13-19), which will be organised at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in the national capital and at the Noida Indoor Stadium.

"The league matches will start on January 13. There will be an opening ceremony on that day and after that the most exciting match of the season, the match between India and Pakistan men's teams will be played," Kho Kho World Cup CEO Vikram Dev Dogra said during a media interaction.

"Thereafter, on 14th, 15th and 16th January, the remaining league matches will carry on, following which the quarterfinals will be held on January 17 and semifinals on January 18 and final on January 19." The tournament will see 21 men's and 20 women's teams competing for the top prizes.

Dogra said the national camp for 60 men and 60 women is currently underway at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, and the Indian teams for the event will be selected from among these players.

Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) president and chairman of the tournament's organising committee, Sudhanshu Mittal announced that Bollywood megastar Salman Khan will be the brand ambassador of the World Cup.

"I am announcing with pride that the brand ambassador of the event will be Salman Khan," Mittal said.

"I am proud to be associated with the first-ever Kho Kho World Cup 2025. This is not just a tournament -- it's a tribute to India's soil, spirit, and strength. All of us, including me, have played Kho Kho at one point in our lives," Khan said in a message.

"It is a sport with non-stop action and relentless spirit that has already captured the global attention. Let's come together and celebrate the soul of Kho Kho on the global stage," he added.

USA, England, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Brazil are among the teams that have confirmed their participation in the tournament.

The event will take place in a league-cum-knockout format, for both men and women.

Among Asian countries, Indonesia will send only their women's team while all other nations will send both their men and women's squads.

Mittal had said that 615 players and 125 support staff will take part in the event. Each team will comprise 15 players, one coach, one manager and international technical officials.