Former Hong Kong judoka joins police after voyeur arrest
HK01 · 2 SOURCESabout 6 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
At a Police Academy passing-out parade on November 14, former Hong Kong judo representative Chan Yi-lam (陳以琳) was profiled as a new probationary inspector whose path into policing began with the Auxiliary Police at age 18. She said a case in which she helped arrest a man suspected of secretly filming under a woman's skirt at an MTR station, while she was off duty, reinforced her determination to stay in policing for the long term. Chan linked that decision to lessons from competitive judo, saying the sport taught her to stay calm, observe carefully and respond flexibly in fast-changing situations. Reports on the same ceremony also highlighted probationary inspector To Kei-lun (陶軒麟), who rose from frontline constable after a decade of service, and constable Luk Ka-yi (陸嘉怡), a former primary school teaching assistant who received the Shi Fu Cup.
Key Points
- Chan Yi-lam became a member of Hong Kong's judo representative team in 2017 after taking up the sport in secondary school under her younger sister's influence.
- She joined the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force at 18, served in Sham Shui Po while studying geography at university, and handled lost-property and missing-person cases.
- In her most memorable incident, Chan discreetly alerted a victim and called colleagues before a suspect was arrested for alleged upskirting at an MTR station.
- Chan said judo taught her that rushing in blindly can backfire, and that policing sensitive cases requires calm judgment, adaptability and empathy for victims
- At the same passing-out parade, 32-year-old To Kei-lun received the Honour Baton and academic distinction, while 25-year-old Luk Ka-yi won the Shi Fu Cup.
Why It Matters
The accounts presented at the passing-out parade show how the police are drawing recruits from sport, education and existing auxiliary or frontline service, rather than from a single traditional career path. For Hong Kong readers, Chan's experience also underlines how off-duty intervention, victim sensitivity and composure in public-space sexual offence cases remain central to frontline policing expectations.