Arms and the man from Kozhikode
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For 32-year-old V.P. Faijas, who is from Kozhikode, winning the International Arm Wrestling Championship held in Spain is the culmination of a passion that started when he was a teenager.
It was on July 6 that he grabbed the international title defeating a Ukrainian player in the arm wrestling tournament held in Spain. He also drubbed a German and several other foreign nationals in his trot to the podium in the 86 kg category.
“I started to take part in the International events from the age of 19. From then, I have been learning the techniques from international players. With the first place, I am also getting invitations to take part in several arm wrestling events across the globe,” he says. He has also taken part in the World Championship held in Egypt last year.
“After getting training in the gym at Mankavu, I started to participate in the state and national level championships. Within two years, I was included in the national team for the world championship,” he says.
However, only when he saw an international match, he got an insight into the sport’s popularity and modern training methods. “I used each event as a chance to learn. I used to consult my counterparts about the latest training equipment. Besides, I learnt how technique is of vital importance,” he explains.
Back in India, the game lacks sponsorship and popularity that it enjoys outside, he understood. “I am sponsored by my employer Air Arabia Airways. The help from the company was a major boost. But this is not the case of several players as most of them are groping in the dark to get money to take part in each competition,” he says.
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