“Nee Sadhichita da!” – You have succeeded, boy!

These were the words etched in V Subramani’s mind as he stood on the mat, clutching the Kho Kho World Cup trophy on January 19, 2025. A boy from Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu — born into a family where hard work was a way of life — had now etched his name in Indian sports history.

This wasn’t just a victory on the mat; it was the culmination of countless sacrifices, relentless determination, and a vision that never wavered.

The beginning of a Kho Kho journey

Subramani first stepped onto a Kho Kho field in the sixth grade, and it was here that his love for the sport took root. Raised in a humble home, with his father toiling as a lorry driver and his mother as a daily wage worker, life was tough. But through it all, his parents instilled in him the belief that with hard work and determination, dreams could soar beyond circumstances.

Initially considering volleyball, Subramani was steered towards Kho Kho by his elder brother, who was already a player. “I actually told my brother I should join volleyball, but he insisted I try Kho Kho and joined the team as well,” he recalls. This decision, though unexpected at the time, set the foundation for his future in the sport.

“Subramani was really good in athletics and that quality is important in Kho Kho as well. So I pushed him to start playing Kho Kho and safe to say, I made a good decision,” shares Saravanan, Subramani’s elder brother.

He studied at Thiyagi N.G. Ramaswamy Memorial Higher Secondary School in Tamil Nadu, where he took his first steps towards competitive Kho Kho. The turning point came when he was selected to play for his school team.

His journey, however, was not without its challenges. Despite an early breakthrough, he faced a four-year setback between ninth and twelfth grade, when circumstances kept him away from the game. But Subramani wasn’t one to be defeated. When he enrolled at PSG Arts and Science College in Coimbatore to study Tamil Literature, he reignited his love for Kho Kho, proving that nothing—no gap or setback—could

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