1/2 As captain of the Dutch women’s team, Juliette Smits from Breda took part in the Tikkertje world championship in India.
As captain of the Dutch women’s team, Juliette Smits from Breda took part in the Tikkertje world championship in India. The sport that is known as Kho Kho is played by millions of people in that country. Juliette and her team were given the task to get ready within four months, without ever hearing of the sport. “We had to figure it out together.”
“When you get the chance to participate in a world championship,” thought Juliette when she was asked by a friend to participate in the Kho Kho championship in India four months ago.
“The country wants to place the sport, which is played there by millions of people, on the world stage with the ultimate goal of the Olympic Games. To get that done, a world championship was organized for the first time last week,” explains the captain.
In the game, two teams of seven players compete against each other. The purpose of the attackers is to tap as many avoiders as possible. The attackers are on the center line and take action when a team member affects them.
“An attacker is not allowed to cross the center line and if the attacker chooses to walk on the left, he is no longer allowed to run the other side behind a degree,” explains Juliette.
The avoiders, of which three are always in the game, can do everything as long as they stay in the field. Each team has two chances to tap and the goal of the game is to grab as many points as possible.
Juliette and her teammates had never heard of the sport until four months ago. “We have figured it out together and had to work well together. The game is fast and tactical, which makes it very fun.”
The sport has been played in India for about five thousand years. The competition was therefore quite strong for Juliette and her team.
“We did not get through the group stage with the men’s and women’s team. What makes perfect sense when India has been playing this for years. As a Dutch team we have won in terms of atmosphere,” laughs Juliette.
“Reception committee, drummer and a player bus.”
The players were in any case received in a big way. “We were received as top athletes. Nobody could believe that this would happen, until we were at the airport with a reception committee and drummers. There was even a player bus ready and we had to put signatures. The sport is really huge in India.”
Juliette does not know if she wants to participate in a world championship again. “But a European championship in England is planned, which seems very nice to me. It would of course also be nice if we could set up a first Kho Kho Veld in the Netherlands.”