Kho-Kho to improve agility and reaction time in schoolchildren

Effects of Traditional Game on Agility and Reaction Time in School Going Children

Not applicable Interventional Riphah International University · NCT07440771

This trial tests whether playing Kho-Kho three times a week for six weeks helps 8–12-year-old schoolchildren improve agility and reaction time.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment48 (estimated)
Ages8 Years to 12 Years
SexAll
SponsorRiphah International University Academic / other
Locations1 site (Lahore, Punjab Province)
Trial IDNCT07440771 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This randomized controlled trial will enroll 48 healthy schoolchildren aged 8–12 from selected schools in Sialkot and randomly assign them to a Kho-Kho intervention group or a free-play control group. The Kho-Kho group will participate in sessions three times per week for six weeks while the control group will do free play during the same period. Outcomes will be measured before and after the intervention using the T-Test for agility, the Ruler Drop Test for reaction time, and the TOES, with data analyzed in SPSS v21. The protocol received ethical approval from Riphah International University, Lahore.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal participants are school-going children aged 8–12 who are physically healthy, medically fit for exercise, have a normal-for-age BMI, and can attend intervention sessions with parental consent.

Not a fit: Children with circulatory, respiratory, musculoskeletal, neuropsychiatric conditions, recent injury or surgery, morbid obesity, current structured sports training, or inconsistent attendance are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, regular Kho-Kho could offer a low-cost, culturally familiar way to boost children's agility, reaction time, and daily physical activity in schools.

How similar studies have performed: Related research on regular physical education and tag-type games has shown improvements in agility and reaction time, but randomized trials specifically testing Kho-Kho are limited.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* 8-12 years of school-going children
* Give informed consent
* physically healthy and medically fit to participate in physical activity
* BMI within normal-for-age range to control for physical performance variability.

Exclusion Criteria:

* presence of at least one of the following conditions: circulatory, respiratory and musculoskeletal diseases, neuropsychiatric disease, exercise induced anaphylaxis, morbid obesity
* History of injury or surgery in the past 4 months
* Currently participating in other structured sports training or agility-specific coaching program, or research procedures
* Inconsistent attendance in the intervention sessions.

Where this trial is running

Lahore, Punjab Province

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Child, Onlyschool-aged childrenKho-Khoagilitytraditional game.Reaction Time
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.