"A lot of youngsters will get a new lease of life" - Prajwal KH, a software engineer who will captain the Telugu Yoddhas in Ultimate Kho Kho 2022

The meteoric growth of indigenous sports in India is set to be boosted by a brand new chapter as the Ultimate Kho Kho 2022 tournament will commence on August 14th in Pune, a franchise-based model which has already attracted eyeballs from sports aficionados across the country.

Six teams – namely Mumbai Khiladis, Odisha Juggernauts, Chennai Quick Guns, Rajasthan Warriors, Gujarat Giants, and the Telugu Yoddhas – will battle it out to enter the history books as the inaugural season winners of the Ultimate Kho Kho League.

One among the big names to be named as captain of an Ultimate Kho Kho 2022 franchise, Karnataka's Prajwal KH will be shepherding the Telugu Yoddhas, and the youngster is excited to see how Indian sports fans take to Kho Kho's brand new avatar.

Interestingly, Prajwal comes from a rich academic and working background. The young attacking all-rounder is currently employed by Accenture after having completed his Bachelor of Engineering degree in 2019.

Prajwal's tryst with the sport started way back in 2006 during his school days, and his love and passion for the sport will now be on display in a leadership role as part of Ultimate Kho Kho 2022.

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Prajwal shed light on nailing the balancing act of pursuing the sport while also holding a job in the private sector, his thoughts on being named captain in the Ultimate Kho Kho 2022 league, and more:

"I'm feeling absolutely elated, the league is finally happening after three years of wait. We attended the first Ultimate Kho Kho camp in 2018, but after that due to the Corona pandemic and few other reasons, it couldn't be implemented as a full-fledged league, now it is finally happening."

"Kabaddi was in a similar situation when it first emerged as a sport that was played in rural areas, now it is accepted globally. A lot of us have also wanted to receive that celebrity feeling, through the UKK I feel like I am living a dream."

For a number of youngsters who want to make a career in the sport, the compulsion to earn a commendable educational degree is at times the biggest roadblock. Add to that the need to land a job with a solid pay, and India loses multiple fledging talents in sports.

However, in Prajwal's case, the youngster has balanced education, work, and excelling in the sport, the latter a vindication of Telugu Yoddhas' trust in appointing him as captain for Ultimate Kho Kho 2022.

Prajwal elaborated on how his current job as a software engineer hasn't stopped him from pursuing Kho Kho wholeheartedly.

"I'm currently working as a software employee in Accenture. Private sector jobs you can't leave that easily, but I am very happy that they are supporting my urge to continue playing the sport. I work the morning to evening shift, and I practice either early hours or after work. Of course, that changes when tournaments are nearing."

"Earlier in Kho Kho our seniors would get jobs in the police force, but now that is very scarce. So earlier even I had responsibilities to find a good job, but I was adamant that I will not stop playing. I had no problems in balancing both, when you like what you are doing there will never be issues that pop up."

"Ultimate Kho Kho 2022 will benefit a lot of people with more employement and contracts" - Prajwal KH

Prajwal also drew parallels to how the Pro Kabaddi League has changed the lives of those hailing from remote villages by giving them a platform to exhibit their skills and earn a name.

The Telugu Yoddhas skipper feels a similar stage will be provided by the Ultimate Kho Kho 2022 tournament for talented players to attract eyeballs from across the world.

"Just like how Pro Kabaddi has become big, I feel Ultimate Kho Kho will also give a lot of players employment and contracts, and their pay will be improved quite a lot in 2-3 years. People from rural backgrounds and a lot of youngsters will get a new lease of life."

As for the challenges of leading the Yoddhas in what will be the first installment of such a massive platform for Kho Kho, Prajwal is eager to work with the challenges that are sure to come his way.

"Firstly a lot of people back home are thrilled that I am the only captain from Karnataka in the tournament. The excitement personally is already kicking in because everyone wants to win the first season, which makes it a lot more challenging."

"I would say the second biggest challenge is to somehow strike the right partnership between all players. Co-ordination is the biggest asset in Kho Kho, and it will be no different here. Over the past few years, we've built strong partnerships in our clubs or at the state level, but none of that matters here. Players in every team will come from different cultures and languages, so finding the right combination will be the challenge."

Given the high-octane demands of Kho Kho, one thing's for sure. If the Telugu Yoddas find themselves in a spot of bother during UKK 2022, there's one man who can turn things around and engineer a moment out of the ordinary – their captain, Prajwal KH.