Woman police officer emerges unbeatable in arm-wrestling

The Assistant Sub Inspector won two gold medals at the recently concluded world arm wrestling championship in Turkey

Never in her wildest dreams did K. Mini, an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) with the Kozhikode juvenile wing, imagine that she would one day clinch two prestigious medals in a world arm wrestling championship. Her husband M. Raju, also an ASI, who discovered his wife’s potential in the sport during friendly competitions at home, was in fact preparing a mighty contestant for the Kerala Police to bring home laurels.

“I was very much active in sports, especially the 100-metre race and long jump. However, a ligament tear stood in the way of my dreams. To overcome disappointment, I turned to arm-wrestling, and the main rival was my husband,” said the 47-year-old who won two gold medals in the recently concluded World Arm Wrestling Championship in Turkey. She added that hand-holding by her husband contributed immensely to improving the strength of her arms.

Mini attended the world championship under the 70 kg category after winning the State- and national-level championships. It was in 2017 that she started her experiments with the new game at her home. The victory at a district-level championship in 2018 doubled her confidence. The same year, she won a national championship. For Mini, both arms are now fit to wrestle with any mighty contestant. 

“During the pandemic, I was keen on doing regular practice. I used to spend at least four hours a day for practice. My belief was that if I were able to beat my husband, I could beat any woman contestant,” recalled Mini. She said that she was now being trained by an expert.

The sport enthusiast also said that Kerala women could easily gain dominance in arm wrestling with regular practice and participation in maximum number of championships. “Our main advantage is our strength which can be improved with daily practice to unimaginable heights. Friendly matches with male arm wrestlers will further boost confidence,” she said. 

Senior police officers who felicitated her for her achievements said she would be representing a number of national and international matches on behalf of the Kerala Police. She has already been offered all technical and training support to equip her better, they added.

Her colleagues also attested that Mini’s dedication to the game would definitely take her to new heights as she had already proved her skills within a short time. This mother of two and a committed officer will definitely emerge as a model for all youngsters who aim high in sports, they said.