International judoka and Punjab Police Inspector Rajwinder Kaur has been appointed coach of the Indian women’s judo team for the forthcoming World Judo Championships and Asian Games — a significant milestone in a remarkable career that saw her return to competitive sport after a career-threatening knee injury and continue competing beyond the age of 40.The 20th edition of the Asian Games is scheduled to be held in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. The 2026 World Judo Championships will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from October 4 to 11.Rajwinder will be accompanied by coaches Varinder Singh and Jeewan Sharma.The appointment is particularly significant for Rajwinder, who had largely shifted her focus to coaching at the PAP Complex in Jalandhar after a ligament injury to both knees sidelined her for nearly five years. She underwent surgery in 2022 and spent two years undergoing physiotherapy before making her competitive return in 2024.She competes in the 78kg weight category.Rajwinder won a gold medal at the prestigious World Police and Fire Games in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, held from June 27 to July 6 last year. She also won a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Before that, she had clinched a silver medal at the National Games hosted by Uttarakhand. She is also a two-time Asian Games participant.For Rajwinder, however, the latest achievement is less about becoming a coach of the Indian team and more about completing a personal journey of resilience.“The biggest victory for me is not becoming the Indian team’s coach. More importantly, I was able to return to full fitness and continue with the sport even after crossing 40 and sustaining a career-threatening injury. It is not common for players to continue at this age, but I may be among the few in our country still competing in the ring,” she said.She is a regular trainee at the famous Shaheed Bhagat Singh Training Centre in Gurdaspur, from where more than 40 international and 150 national judokas have emerged in the past few years.Rajwinder began her sporting career as a sprinter, with the 200m her favourite event, but her transition to judo during college proved to be life-changing.As a coach, she treats all team members like family, without showing favouritism, and supports her protégés through their personal struggles.“I push individuals to reach their potential while keeping them safe and respecting their physical and mental strengths,” she said.