Words by Hu Xue Photos by Qi Jianwei
　　
　　The blazing sun. The extensive desert. The shining police badge.
　　"One, two, three, come on!" The spirited chant in the Sichuan dialect still lingered in the air after the 7th UAE SWAT Challenge drew to a close in the desert city of Dubai on February 11. Debuting as China’s first provincial-level all-female police squad, the Sichuan Provincial Female SWAT Team, competing as China Police Team F, delivered a stellar performance and secured second spot in the women’s overall standings.
　　The team set a new record in the Obstacle Challenge and achieved a perfect hit rate in the sniper shooting category, creating the highlight of the tournament with "zero time penalties, zero penalty points, and zero errors". Their flawless performance earned widespread admiration and made the Chinese police badge shine brightly on the desert city’s competition field. Sheikh Mohammed, the Ruler of Dubai, met with the team members and praised them, saying, "China’s women’s is just amazing!"

　　Excellent Performance Amid Fierce Competition
　　On February 7, the global SWAT "World Cup" officially kicked off, with female and male teams competing under the same standards and rules. The elite police teams took part in five core challenges: the Assault Challenge, Hostage Rescue Challenge, Officer Rescue Challenge, Tower Challenge, and Obstacle Challenge, each representing a rigorous test of skills, strength, and stamina.
　　On this mixed-gender competition field, the Sichuan Provincial Female SWAT Team confronted the world’s best tactical police units. Braving the scorching desert weather at temperatures up to 45 degrees Celsius, these policewomen stayed cool, calm and collected. Their stunning performance in more than 200 tasks across five core challenges showcased the professionalism and real-world fighting skills of Chinese police forces.
　　During the Assault Challenge on the first day, the rules were adjusted at short notice, requiring all team members to cross an obstacle zone fully armed. Any slip on the 12 dangerous links could lead to penalties. Defying the massive pressure and the poor visibility from wearing gas masks, the Sichuan female team executed coordinated assaults and precision shooting with remarkable results. They completed the challenge in 2 minutes and 3 seconds with zero penalties, finishing second among all female teams and 25th among the 109 mixed teams, outperforming nearly 80 male teams in speed.
　　The strong start gave them greater confidence and momentum. In the grueling Obstacle Challenge, they charged forward under the burning desert heat, scaling walls, climbing rope ladders, and clearing obstacles in swift succession. They completed the course in 6 minutes and 1 second, winning the women’s category and breaking the previous record of 7 minutes and 13 seconds, marking a historic breakthrough for Chinese female SWAT officers.
　　In the Officer Rescue Challenge, three team members, already utterly exhausted from intense physical exertion, had to lift a 120 kg tire together and carry it nearly 40 meters across the sand. As the starting signal sounded, they crouched and shouted in unison, steadily hoisting the massive tire overhead before sprinting across the finish line. Their impressive performance won thunderous applause from the audience, demonstrating that courage and strength know no gender.
　　At the sniper shooting range, unpredictable desert winds added another layer of difficulty. With exceptional focus and precise wind judgment, police officers Tang Benyi and Zou Xue hit every target with flawless accuracy, showcasing the top-tier marksmanship of Chinese policewomen on the global stage.

　　The Relentless Path to Ultimate Strength
　　Glory on the competition field comes from relentless training day by day. In October 2025, China’s Ministry of Public Security decided to field the Sichuan Provincial Female SWAT Team at the UAE SWAT Challenge in Dubai. This marked the first time China sent an all-female SWAT team to an elite international enforcement tournament, and the first time that the Sichuan police authority showcased its real-world combat capabilities on the global arena.
　　The path to success is never easy. Guided by the mission of "bringing honor to the province, adding luster to the Chinese police badge, and winning glory for the motherland," the Sichuan Provincial Public Security Department set up a dedicated task force by conducting five rounds of rigorous selection among more than 1,000 female police officers across the province. Eight officers ultimately stood out: Tang Benyi, Zou Xue, Shen Yi, Li Fenglin, Ke Yunqian, Zhang Yuying, Wang Jiali, and Qiu Yu.
　　They prepared for more than 120 days, with daily training exceeding 10 hours. Days were spent in intensive tactical drills, while evenings were devoted to review and analysis. Team members, coaches, and support personnel all stayed fully engaged, building up their strength through extraordinary dedication. Meanwhile, the Sichuan Provincial Public Security Department erected a high-standard facility that fully replicated the competition venue in Dubai and invited the Chinese Olympic medical support team to provide on-site healthcare services.
　　To adapt to the harsh, windy climate of the Middle East desert, the team conducted extreme-environment training in multiple locations. Creating the innovative training pattern of "one file per officer, one coach per challenge," the team compiled a 37-page competition handbook that turned tactical movements and coordination procedures into pure muscle memory. Officer Wang Jiali said, "It was such efforts that enabled us to step onto the world stage in our best possible condition."
　　Scars have become medals. Officers Shen Yi, Qiu Yu, Zhang Yuying, and Wang Jiali trained through injuries, pushing their physical limits with iron determination. Blisters formed in their palms and hardened into calluses. Zou Xue, the oldest team member at 34, ran fearlessly with a sniper rifle on her back despite numerous injuries. Tang Benyi, enduring intense pain from steel pins in her leg, completed the entire event with zero errors, zero penalties, and zero missed shots.

　　Marching from Glory to a New Mission
　　Although the UAE SWAT Challenge coincided with the Chinese New Year, the Sichuan Provincial Female SWAT Team set aside family reunions to compete abroad for national honor. They rewrote China’s record on the global law-enforcement leaderboard: a total score of 393 points, second place in the women’s team category, 28th place in the mixed-gender overall standings, and outperforming 81 elite international teams. The eight female officers earned worldwide respect with their strength and showcased the vibrant "She Power" of Sichuan police forces on the international arena.
　　As the team leader for the Obstacle Challenge, Li Fenglin bore the entire weight of her teammates at high altitude, leading the squad to break the women’s world record in this obstacle course. Ke Yunqian, a new police officer competing in her first international tournament, completed every task without a single slip. Averaging just 1.65 meters in height, these young women from Sichuan may appear small, yet they displayed astonishing strength on the field.
　　When the competition finally finished, the team members hugged each other tightly, smiling with tears in their eyes.
　　"From team selection and daily training to competing in Dubai, these female police officers followed orders without hesitation, confronted challenges head-on, and fought tenaciously on the international stage, fully demonstrating the high spirit of Sichuan police forces," said an official in charge. "More importantly, we aim to promote training through competition and enhance real-world fighting capacities through training. We will bring back advanced concepts and actual combat experience from the international competition to our daily training sessions."
　　That honor is now history. Back from Dubai, the eight Sichuan policewomen did not indulge in their victory but plunged into daily training. They are deeply aware that the "competition field" is, in reality, always the next call to action, the next charge against danger, and the daily routine of safeguarding public security.
　　Waving goodbye to the desert competition field, Tang Benyi, Li Fenglin, Ke Yunqian, and Zhang Yuying quietly returned to their posts with the police forces in Aba and Ganzi, continuing to protect the public amidst the wind and snow of the plateau. Li Fenglin now has a new aspiration: "To become an even more elite and versatile SWAT officer." Tang Benyi has also set a new goal: "To integrate the competition experience into everyday training and pass it on to more officers."
　　The UAE SWAT Challenge has ended, but these officers’ passion never fades away. The Sichuan Provincial Female SWAT Team returned not only with honor but also with advanced international policing concepts and tactical strategies, sowing the seeds of combat-oriented training across the province. The officers said with bright smiles that the competition represents a new start, taking root in their posts, honing their skills, and making the Chinese police badge shine on the international stage.■
　　
　　(Translated by Zhang Yanzhou)