First Female Kickboxer From Kerala To Win Medal Gets Hero’s Welcome

A kickboxer from Kavulgal was greeted as a hero.

On Thursday in Thiruvananthapuram, Sanju M. S., returned home after winning a bronze medal at the Second Uzbekistan Open International Kickboxing Championship in Tashkent.

The locals gathered cash to present Sanju, the first female kickboxer from Kerala to win an international medal with a gold ring.

“It was the best moment of my life when the whole panchayat welcomed me and my coach with a chendamelam,” Sanju said.

After earning a medal at the regional competition in Goa the previous year, she was offered the opportunity to compete in the Uzbek event.

Her parents, who had to take out a Rs 3 lakh loan to pay for her tournament entry, succeeded in achieving their aim.

The 23-year-old started kickboxing three years ago. The Ph.D. student in mathematics gave up her job to focus only on the sport.

“I am thankful to my coach, Vivek A S, who accompanied me to the competition. There have been some demotivated comments from people, but I decided to work hard and utilize my talent to make my parents proud,” she added.

“I am nothing without my parents. My aim now is to win a medal in the Olympics.”