Cuttack: Odisha Juggernauts are two wins away from retaining the Ultimate Kho Kho league title.
Having emerged champions in the inaugural league, Juggernauts qualified for the semifinals of Season 2 with 23 points in 10 matches, winning 6 and losing 2 to finish second in the double round-robin league stage.
Odisha concluded the league stage with a 34-23 win against Mumbai Khiladis, and will face Gujarat Giants at Jawaharlal Indoor Stadium here on Thursday.
The Juggernauts shared honours with Gujarat Giants in the league stage, losing their first clash 29-34 and winning the next one 35-27.
Odisha Juggernauts captain Dipesh More sounded confident for the knockout clash.
“It’s always good to go into a high-pressure game like a semifinal with a victory, so we are feeling confident. The team is looking forward to support from the home crowd which can make a big difference in critical games,” More said.
Vice-captain Gowtham MK lauded the team’s set-up.
“It has been very professional and exposed us to many techniques for training and recovery. Not only does this help our performances in matches but has also helped us develop significantly as individual athletes,” said Gowtham.
The Juggernauts are equipped with a physio, masseur and strength and conditioning coach from Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance, along with resources of the recently-inaugurated state-of-the-art Sports Science Centre at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Sports Complex.