Saudi Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (SJHSS)
Volume-11 | Issue-09 | 467-474
Original Research Article
An Ability Referenced Comparison of Speed, Agility, and Leg Explosive Strength in Female Kho-Kho Players
Sudipto Birbongshi, Rudramallya Birbanshi, Amrit Kumar Mahato
Published : Sept. 16, 2026
Abstract
Background. Kho-Kho is a high intensity, intermittent pursuit sport in which explosive acceleration, rapid change of direction, and lower limb power are widely assumed to underpin competitive success. Whether these generic attributes actually discriminate between ability strata within an already selected squad remains empirically unresolved, and female players at the state tier are largely absent from the peer reviewed record. Purpose. To compare speed, agility, and leg explosive strength among high, medium, and low ability state level female Kho-Kho players. Methods. Sixty-seven female state level players (18–23 years) were purposively sampled from Purba Medinipur, North 24 Parganas, South Kolkata, and Hooghly districts, West Bengal, and classified into three ability groups. Speed was assessed by the 50-yard dash, agility by the 4 × 10 yard shuttle run, and leg explosive strength by the standing broad jump. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics and one way ANOVA (α = 0.05) using IBM SPSS Statistics 26. Results. No significant differences emerged for speed, F(2, 64) = 1.06, p = 0.352, η² = 0.03; agility, F(2, 64) = 0.197, p = 0.822; or leg explosive strength, F(2, 64) = 0.744, p = 0.479. Descriptively the high ability group was fastest (8.01 ± 0.552 s), jumped furthest (1.84 ± 0.165 m), and showed markedly lower variability. Conclusion. These components function as a performance threshold rather than a discriminator at state level; selection should additionally assess reactive agility, technical skill, and tactical decision making.