A policewoman in Kerala has won two arm wrestling gold medals in World Arm Wrestling Competition held in Turkey. She was also the captain of the 43-member Indian team that won 13 medals at the competition in total. Out of these, three are gold, five silver and five bronze. She was quoted as saying by news agency PTI that this is a first for the country at the competition. Of the 13 medals, eight were won by arm wrestlers from Kerala, she added.
"After 1979, I am the first one to win double gold for the country at the event," the policewoman told PTI.
She has always been attracted to sports. Before joining the police force, Ms Raju was a state-level athlete and participated in 100 and 200 metres heats and long-jump events.
Ms Raju joined the police force in 2001 and continued participating in athletic events. But an accident in 2008 caused her ligament to rupture, thereby ending her athletic career, PTI further reported.
She then chose arm wrestling and soon made her mark in this field too. Her entry to the field happened by chance. In 2018, she had gone to see an arm wrestling competition organised by Kozhikode Police. The sport attracted him and she participated in an open competition.
"I participated in an open district-level arm wrestling competition where I defeated several seasoned opponents and emerged as champion and strong woman in the district," she told PTI.
According to Kerala Arm Wrestling Association website, the sport requires high level of technical skills apart from muscular and mental strength. It was introduced in India in the 1970s.
As a professional sport, it has been adopted by 28 states in India and Kerala too is working hard in its development, the association further said.
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