India's Sohail Khan rises to World No 12 in international Kudo rankings ahead of World Cup

Junior world champion, Sohail Khan has firmly established himself as one of India’s most accomplished martial artists.

India’s Sohail Khan has been officially ranked 12th in the world in the M-250 category by the Kudo International Federation (KIF), securing his seeding for the upcoming Kudo World Cup 2025, scheduled to be held in Bulgaria on July 5 and 6. He will lead a four-member Indian contingent at one of the sport’s most competitive international events.

Khan earned his place in the world rankings following a bronze medal at the Kudo Eurasian Cup 2024, which earned him one ranking point. This performance secured his inclusion among the top 12 seeded athletes for the World Cup. Khan is India’s highest-ranked athlete in the M-250 category and brings with him a strong international track record.

A familiar name on the circuit, Khan is a former Junior World Cup gold medallist (2017), a four-time international gold medallist at the Akshay Kumar Kudo Tournament, and a quarter-finalist at the Senior World Championships 2023 in Tokyo (Japan).

Speaking after the seeding announcement, Sohail Khan said, ”Being ranked among the top in the world is a proud moment for me, but this is just the beginning. I carry the dreams of a billion people, and I’m committed to seeing India rise to the very top. The blood and sweat—nothing matters until I make it to World No. 1. Every step I take is for my country.”

Three other Indian athletes have also earned places in the world rankings and will represent the country at the World Cup: Vaishnavi Singh (FM -220), Priya Thapa (Women’s 220+), and Babu Choudhary (M-270). All four qualified based on their performances in KIF-sanctioned events during the 2024 season.

The M-250 division is expected to be one of the most closely contested at the World Cup. The complete list of seeded athletes in the category is as follows:

M-250 Category – World Cup 2025 Seedings

• Ryota Onodera (Japan)
• Vilius Tarasevicius (Lithuania)
• Hadzhiev Rusi (Bulgaria)
• Lautaro Diaz (Chile)
• Ermakov Ilia (Russia)
• Remus Moga (Romania)
• Ronald Vargas (Colombia)
• Mosen Baghi Nasrabadi (Iran)
• Tsubasa Terasaka (Japan)
• Pochini Valerio (Italy)
• Angus Kwang (Canada)
• Sohail Khan (India)

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