A collection of Bunbury Malayalee Association – Indian Group members have gone from having a go to being tug of war champions.
In its first ever competition, BMA Bunbury Challengers took out the 2018 Knanaya Association of Western Australia – All Australia Tug of War title.
The tournament featured male and female divisions, with teams from all over the state coming together at Harrisdale Pavilion on October 27.
BMA Bunbury Challengers team member Anoop Puthukudy said they put their bodies on the line during training, preparing themselves for the pressure of competition.
“One of our mates is a KAWA member and he was asked to put together a tug of war team for the event,” he said.
“We came together and started practicing a few months back in Dalyellup. We bought a rope and gathered two or three times per week.
“We had to come under 590 kilograms to qualify for the event, so we all had to lose weight as well.”
Mr Puthukudy said lifting the KAWA cup, and claiming the $2001 first prize, made for a joyous occasion.
“It was awesome, it was the first time we’d had a team and we beat the team who had won the past five KAWA titles,” he said.
“We began as a small team, and so we never thought we’d beat the champions.
“We put in 110 per cent and had the urge to win. Hard work, determination, and unity helped us to succeed.”
Mr Puthukudy said the group would stick together, planning to enter more tournaments in the future.
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