Police Department has decided to open physical training centers in the capital to make the law enforcement force fit enough to combat any tough situation.Special proficiency centres will be opened soon in the city to impart training to personnel who are interested in joining the initiative
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The days when police officers used to be made fun of for being pot-bellied will now be a thing of the past. The dubious distinction is all set to change since the Police Department has decided to open physical training centres in the capital to make the law enforcement force fit enough to combat any tough situation.
According to the Police Department, special proficiency centres will be opened soon in the city to impart training to personnel who are interested in joining the initiative. The department said the training centres will be operational within two months.The decision was taken by State Police Chief Loknath Behera as part of strengthening sports activities in the police force. In the first phase, kalarippayattu and swimming will be the part of the curriculum. More categories will be added later.
Kalaripayattu training will be given at a special facility at Chandrasekharan Nair stadium while the venue for the swimming classes has yet to be decided. Sources said the police are looking for a suitable space to construct a swimming pool. The swimming pool at Pirappancode is also under consideration. A state-of-the-art physiotherapy centre will also be opened along with the training centres. The centre will function at Chandrasekharan Nair stadium.
A top police officer said the physical fitness of Kerala Police is not up to the mark since their participation in sports-related activities has gone down drastically.“Earlier, Kerala Police used to shine at all sporting events especially football. Now, their fitness level has gone down sharply, This is a matter of serious concern. So we need to groom interested officers to take part in games in the future too. Moreover, the training will strengthen them physically as well as mentally. It is also the first step towards making our force the best in the country,” a senior officer said.
There will be no gender bias when it comes to training. Swimming will be made a priority for women officers, while kalarippayattu will be a common programme for both the genders. Thiruvananthapuram range IG Manoj Abraham has been entrusted to oversee the initiative.The department has invited applications from the interested officers. Those interested can send in their applications to igptvmrange.pol@kerala.gov.in or via mail before March 25.
International kalari center in the making
The police have also submitted a proposal to the government to construct a kalarippayattu centre. It will be an international state-of-the-art centre. The centre will have trainers from to well-known kalaris in the state. In the future, the centre will also allow the public to take part in the kalarippayattu training, sources said.
According to Manoj Abraham, Thiruvananthapuram range IG who is in-charge of the initiative, the state police are planning to start a hub in Chandrasekharan Nair stadium so that all the training camps are held under a single roof.
“We have received several applications. It is a positive sign young police officers are turning conscious about health and sports activities. Though we are starting it in Thiruvananthapuram in the first phase, the next location is Kannur and then Thrissur,” Abraham said.
He said the aim of starting such an initiative is to reduce work-related stress the officers face. “Many of the officers can be seen stuck to their mobile phones. This leads to depression by and large. So a physical training programme will ensure they fit both physically and mentally,” Abraham added.