The inaugural Kho Kho World Cup 2025 culminated on Sunday, January 19, 2025, in the renowned Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, marking a watershed moment for one of India’s most beloved traditional sports.
The event effectively introduced Kho Kho to the world arena and Sportz Interactive (SI) was responsible for the digital engagement and narrative that drove its success.
SI, as one of the World Cup’s official digital content partners, oversaw the social media content strategy, resulting in a bright, interactive, and engaging online presence that resonated with fans globally. The event drew 23 countries and 39 teams from six continents, highlighting Kho Kho’s worldwide appeal and universal charm. Both men’s and women’s teams battled strongly in league and knockout tournaments.
Sportz Interactive, which has an unmatched focus on increasing fan contact, leveraged platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter) to build momentum leading up to the World Cup, capture passion during the event, and retain interest following the tournament. SI’s efforts have had an impact, as seen by the good results obtained since December 2024.
Instagram grew by 187%, Facebook by 56%, YouTube by 380%, and X by 57%, for a total platform increase of 125%. In terms of engagement milestones, Instagram had 784,463 interactions, YouTube had 112,247 interactions, and Facebook had 38,160 interactions, X by 19,341 interactions, bringing the total engagement across platforms to over 2.2 million.
Sportz Interactive captured the spirit of the World Cup for millions of fans with inventive campaigns, timely updates, and appealing imagery, stimulating conversations and developing a strong digital community around the sport.
Siddharth Raman, CEO of Sportz Interactive, said, “We are thrilled to have partnered with the Kho Kho Federation of India and the International Kho Kho Federation to tell the story of this remarkable event. It’s an honor to be part of the journey to bring Kho Kho to a global audience and create digital milestones for such a historic tournament.”
Mandeep Malhotra, CMO for the Kho Kho World Cup, commented, “Sportz Interactive’s innovative campaigns and engagement strategies have not only amplified the tournament’s reach but also showcased Kho Kho as a sport with immense global appeal. It has been a privilege to see their team bring our vision to life. This World Cup represents a significant step in positioning Kho Kho as not just a game of our heritage but as a competitive sport on the global stage. The digital success has ensured that the world connects with this