Former India international badminton player Kuhoo Garg has won the honour for being the best outdoor probationer in Phase I of training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad.
Passing Out at the Police Academy
Garg is among 151 IPS probationers set to pass out with the 78th Regular Recruit batch on October 17. The outdoor assessment program evaluates candidates across multiple disciplines, including physical training, horse riding, unarmed combat, yoga, tactics, mock drills, and sports.
Ms. Kuhoo Garg, IPS Probationer of 78 RR borne on Gujarat cadre, won the Medal for the Best Probationer in Drill pic.twitter.com/FFfrCVeTei
Speaking on the sidelines of the Dikshant parade, Garg reflected on her athletic roots. “Once an athlete, always an athlete,” Garg said. She credited her success in the academy to the resilience and discipline forged during her seven years on the international badminton circuit.
Transition From Badminton to Civil Services
During her badminton career, Garg reached a world No 34 ranking in mixed doubles and trained under Padma Bhushan awardee Pullela Gopichand in Hyderabad. She represented India in international competition from 2013 to 2020 before injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a pivot.
Encouraged by her parents, the Shri Ram College of Commerce economics graduate turned her focus to civil services. She appeared for the UPSC examination in 2023, secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 178, and is set to join the Gujarat cadre.
Overcoming Academic Hurdles
While athletic conditioning transferred smoothly to police training, the academic demands required a significant adjustment. Garg noted that she had largely stepped away from traditional studying after completing her class 12 examinations, admitting that she used to skip straight to the sports pages of the newspaper.
Starting her academic preparation from scratch presented a steep learning curve, but she relied on the mental toughness developed on the badminton court to push through. “The ability to keep pushing myself helped me overcome the learning curve and perform well during training,” Garg said.
