Hekko
‘Hek’ means to challenge and ‘ko’ means tiger. Therefore, Hekko means “Challenging the tiger.” A folk story from Nagaland tells us about Aami, the man, and Aakho, the tiger.
Once, humans and animals lived together. They had a disagreement about who was stronger and better. The humans challenged Aakho, and this challenge came to be known as Hekko.
Today, the people of the Mokokchung district of Nagaland play a game named Hekko. It is a team game with two teams—Aakho and Aami. Each team has eleven players. A toss decides which team will be called Aami and which will be called Aakho.
A circle is drawn on the ground. The Aami players stay inside the circle and form a human chain by joining hands. They try to protect themselves from being pushed out and also try to catch the Aakho players who enter the circle.
The Aakho players stay outside the circle. Two Aakho players enter the circle at a time and try to push the Aami players out. The Aami players try to surround and catch them.
When an Aakho player is caught, the player says “Joko”, which means surrender. The caught player is then set free and another Aakho player can take the turn.
Points are scored when players of the opposite team are caught or pushed out. The game ends when all the Aakho players are caught, all the Aami players are pushed out, or the playing time is over. The team with more points wins.
The game also helps the village recognise special players. The fastest player of the Aami team is given the title Khozuba, while the strongest player of the Aakho team is called Khotiba.
Hekko is more than a game. It connects sport with the culture of Nagaland and shows how traditional games can develop strength, courage, teamwork and strategy.
๐ง Think and Discuss
๐ค Homophones — Words that Sound Alike
Some English words sound alike but have different spellings and meanings. Choose the correct word from each pair.
| Pair | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| their / there | belonging / place | Their team is there. |
| two / too | number 2 / also or very | Two players were too tired. |
| through / threw | from one side to another / past of throw | The ball went through the gate. He threw it. |
| caught / cot | past of catch / small bed | She caught the ball. I slept on a cot. |
| right / write | correct or direction / form letters | Turn right. Write neatly. |
⏳ Past Simple — Regular Verbs
We often use the past simple to talk about actions that happened earlier. Many regular verbs take -ed.
| Present | Past |
|---|---|
| visit | visited |
| point | pointed |
| jump | jumped |
| enjoy | enjoyed |
| watch | watched |
| join | joined |
Remember: Some verbs are irregular, such as come → came, drink → drank, drive → drove, see → saw.
๐ Animal Sounds
๐ Word Search
Put the events in the correct order.
Write meaningful sentences using these words.
๐ฎ Design a New Game
Give your game a name. Write the number of players, materials, three rules and how a winner is decided.
Create a simple classroom version of a traditional game. Do not use pushing, hitting or unsafe objects.
๐งฐ Materials
๐ช Steps
Nagaland is a state in north-eastern India with many rich tribal traditions.
A major cultural festival that showcases Naga traditions, music, dance, crafts and food.
Community celebrations often include music, dance, traditional clothing and local arts.
Local games preserve cultural knowledge and can develop cooperation and physical skills.
Click a word to see Phonics • Pronunciation • Hindi Meaning • Easy Sentence • Audio .
Hekko is a traditional team game associated with the Mokokchung district of Nagaland.
The word Hekko means “Challenging the tiger”. It comes from “Hek”, meaning challenge, and “ko”, meaning tiger.
The game has two teams, Aami and Aakho, with eleven players in each team. A toss decides the team roles.
Aami players stay inside a circle and form a human chain. Aakho players stay outside and enter two at a time to try to push Aami players out. Aami players try to catch them.
A caught Aakho player says “Joko”, meaning surrender. Points are awarded when players are caught or pushed out. The game ends when a team is eliminated or time runs out.
Hekko connects physical activity with teamwork, strategy and the cultural heritage of Nagaland.
“Hekko” เคจाเคाเคฒैंเคก เคे เคฎोเคॉเคเคुंเค เคिเคฒे เคธे เคुเคก़ा เคเค เคชाเคฐंเคชเคฐिเค เคीเคฎ เคेเคฒ เคนै।
เคนेเค्เคो เคा เค เคฐ्เคฅ “เคฌाเค เคो เคुเคจौเคคी เคฆेเคจा” เคนै। ‘เคนेเค’ เคा เค เคฐ्เคฅ เคुเคจौเคคी เคฆेเคจा เคเคฐ ‘เคो’ เคा เค เคฐ्เคฅ เคฌाเค เคนै।
เคेเคฒ เคฎें เคเคฎी เคเคฐ เคเคो เคจाเคฎ เคी เคฆो เคीเคฎें เคนोเคคी เคนैं เคเคฐ เคช्เคฐเคค्เคฏेเค เคीเคฎ เคฎें 11 เคिเคฒाเคก़ी เคนोเคคे เคนैं। เคॉเคธ เคธे เคीเคฎों เคी เคญूเคฎिเคा เคคเคฏ เคนोเคคी เคนै।
เคเคฎी เคीเคฎ เคตृเคค्เคค เคे เค ंเคฆเคฐ เคฎाเคจเคต-เคถ्เคฐृंเคเคฒा เคฌเคจाเคเคฐ เคฐเคนเคคी เคนै, เคเคฌเคि เคเคो เคीเคฎ เคे เคिเคฒाเคก़ी เคฌाเคนเคฐ เคฐเคนเคคे เคนैं เคเคฐ เคฌाเคฐी-เคฌाเคฐी เคธे เค ंเคฆเคฐ เคเคเคฐ เคเคฎी เคिเคฒाเคก़िเคฏों เคो เคฌाเคนเคฐ เคเคฐเคจे เคा เคช्เคฐเคฏाเคธ เคเคฐเคคे เคนैं।
เคเคฎी เคिเคฒाเคก़ी เคเคो เคिเคฒाเคก़िเคฏों เคो เคชเคเคก़เคจे เคा เคช्เคฐเคฏाเคธ เคเคฐเคคे เคนैं। เคชเคเคก़े เคाเคจे เคชเคฐ เคเคो เคिเคฒाเคก़ी “เคोเคों” เคเคนเคเคฐ เคธเคฎเคฐ्เคชเคฃ เคเคฐเคคा เคนै।
เคนेเค्เคो เคนเคฎें เคीเคฎเคตเคฐ्เค, เคฐเคฃเคจीเคคि, เคถाเคฐीเคฐिเค เค्เคทเคฎเคคा เคเคฐ เค เคชเคจी เคธांเคธ्เคृเคคिเค เคชเคฐंเคชเคฐाเคं เคो เคธเคฎเคเคจे เคी เคธीเค เคฆेเคคा เคนै।