For those, who believe there's no hope after dope, ask former India shuttler Aparna Popat
For those, who believe there's no hope after dope, ask former India shuttler Aparna Popat. One of the biggest names in Indian badminton in the pre-Saina Nehwal era, Popat was on a career high, ranked 28 in the world, when she tested positive for a banned substance back in 2000.
Months before the Sydney Olympics, Aparna got entangled in the dope net, but emerged clean thanks to sheer grit and determination.
Those were the days: India's Aparna Popat during the 2006 Commonwealth
Games in Melbourne, Australia. pic/afp
Word of advice
She has some words of advice for the eight Indian athletes, including star quarter-milers like Mandeep Kaur, Sini Jose and Ashwini Akkunji, who recently tested positive for anabolic steroids.u00a0
"You have to take some time off to sort yourself out. Read up on what may have caused the problem. Speak to as many people, preferably experts, to learn more about the complexities of the drug world. But overall, be mentally strong. Believe in yourself and your ability. That alone will see you through these bad times," Aparna told MiD DAY yesterday.u00a0
The 33-year-old Indian Oil admin manager recalled how her world changed instantly one fateful day in early 2000. "My father called me up to inform me that I had tested positive for dope back then. The authorities had deemed it fit to inform him first rather than me. I remember how my world came crashing down instantaneously.
As it turned out, it was medicine for cold that I had taken which contained a banned substance that showed up in one of the tests. But what followed was sheer mental torture," added Aparna, a former nine-time national badminton champion.
Three-month ban
Aparna was banned for three months by the International Badminton Federation. And though she enjoyed the trust and good wishes of everyone around at the time, it was the inner-self that she found hard to conquer.
"My entire self-belief was shattered. I began to doubt whether all what I had achieved till date was because of my talent and hardwork or simply due to the drug," said Aparna, who broke Madhumita Bisht's record of seven consecutive national titles by winning continuously between 1997 and 2005.
"Obviously, it was the worst three months of my life. In fact, for the first two months, I shuddered at the thought of even picking up a racquet let alone stepping on to court. I spent hours in libraries reading whatever
literature I could get my hands on about medicine. But then, my family and friends rallied behind me and somehow I managed to get back to playing... but my hands trembled nevertheless," added the winner of a host of junior titles in India and abroad besides a silver and bronze medal at the 1998 CWG in Kuala Lumpur and French Open (1999).
Fortunately for Aparna, she did manage to represent the country at the Sydney Games, and thereafter came back strongly to win the 2001 Asian Satellite tournament in Bangalore and make it to the last four of the Welsh Open semi-finals the same year followed by a bronze at the 2002 Manchester CWG. But all this would not have been possible without the help of the Badminton Association of India, and Aparna now hopes the Athletics Federation of India too supports its athletes.
"The association always backed me and that was a great help. In the same way, I hope the athletics federation stands by these unfortunate athletes. That will firstly abolish the guilt factor, if any, and then help them regain their confidence. This will eventually enable them to give it their best shot at the London Games.
"I'm sure, just like me, these girls too will want to prove themselves to the world," concluded the 2005 Arjuna awardee.
Let's hope our
dope-tainted athletes take a leaf out of Aparna's book.
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