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Rohan Kore, a vital cog in the Mumbai Khiladis team, enumerated how the face of Kho Kho and people's perception of the sport has changed ever since the introduction of Ultimate Kho Kho 2022.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Kore revealed how he enjoys the attention that he now gets when his friends frequently text him after games.
The Karnataka-born defender also spoke about how people meet his parents and discuss his performances on the mat.
He said:
“Earlier, Kho Kho did not have as much glamor, but now, due to Ultimate Kho Kho, the sport has garnered a lot of fame. My friends text me when I play well and I enjoy that. Earlier, no one used to recognize me as a player but that has changed now. They go and tell my parents that their son has played well.”
Kore went on to share how he was introduced to the sport in the fourth grade when his school teacher was impressed with his speed and asked him to visit a nearby ground where people trained for Kho Kho.
“I have been involved with the game for nearly nine years now. When I was in the fourth grade, my sir appreciated my speed and asked me to visit one of the grounds near the school.”
"My parents encouraged me to leave my studies and go play" - Rohan Kore on parents' support during school days
Kore went on to divulge how his father took him to the farm to help out, something that helped improve his fitness as well. His parents supported him throughout, so much so that they would allow him to leave his studies to play Kho Kho.
Kore further spoke about how his uncle, who worked at his school, helped him immensely. The youngster said:
“There are ten members in my family, we are a joint family. My father is a farmer, my mother is a housewife. My uncle works at a school. I have complete support from home. My father used to take me to the farm to improve my fitness. Honestly, I have had complete support from home."
"My parents sometimes encouraged me to leave my studies and go play. They said that they would handle whatever repercussions it had from the school. Since my uncle was working at the school, he helped me a lot.”
Lastly, Kore revealed how his mother gave him a call after Mumbai Khiladis' curtain-raiser loss against the Gujarat Giants. He went on to speak about the time his niece video-called him and imitated his running - something he finds very cute.
“We played the curtain-raiser of Ultimate Kho Kho. My mother called me and applauded my performance even though we lost the game. My brother’s daughter video calls me and imitates how I run on the mat. That was a very cute moment and I enjoy the fact that the little girl tries to copy me.”
Although Mumbai Khiladis failed to qualify for the playoffs, Kore was pretty impressive in his outings for them. The Khiladis will look to go back to the drawing board and come back stronger in the second edition of Ultimate Kho Kho.
