Assistant Inspector Mini Raju of Kerala won two gold medals at the World Arm Wrestling Championships

Assistant Inspector Mini Raju from Kerala made a last-ditch entry in the 2018 district-level arm-wrestling competition organized by the Kerala Police Association and made India proud by winning double gold medals after four years.

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She recently participated in the World Arm Wrestling Championships in Turkey and won a double gold medal. Another highlight of the event was that she was also the captain of the 43-member Indian team that participated in the World Games event. And they won a total of 13 medals in this tournament.

India's first-ever international arm wrestling medals include three gold, five silver, and five bronze. Meanwhile, eight of the 13 medals were won by arm wrestlers from Kerala. "Every year, India used to send a 40-45 member contingent to the competition and used to come back with one or two medals. This is the first time we won so many medals. Also after 1979, I am the first one to win double gold for the country at the event." Mini Raju said.

Before entering arm wrestling, Mini Raju was a state-level athlete. She won medals in 100 and 200-meter heats and long-jump events. She joined the police force in 2001. Even after joining the police force, she continued to participate in athletics. However, an accident in 2008 damaged a tendon in her leg and ended his athletic career. In 2018, when she went to see an arm wrestling tournament organized by the Kozhikode district unit of the Kerala Police Association, she decided to participate in the event and won that competition.

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She said, "Probably due to my background in sports I had the strength required to win there. Thereafter, 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,"

Four years into the sport, she led the Indian team at the World Arm Wrestling Championships held in Turkey from October 14-23. India won 13 medals there. Mini Raju's husband who is also an ASI, trained but did not participate in the event. Notably, Raju's trainer Roshith runs the gym where she works out and is also a national-level referee for the sport.