IBF bans Aparna Popat

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, APRIL 5.

The International Badminton Federation (IBF) has debarred the National women's champion Aparna Popat for three months from international competitions for taking a banned substance inadvertently and thereby contravening the IBF anti-doping statutes.

The 22-year-old Aparna Popat, ranked 28 in the World, was randomly tested during the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup first round and semifinal matches held in New Delhi from February 13 to 20. Aparna was a member of the Indian Uber Cup team and an analysis of her `A' sample later done at an IOC accredited Laboratory in Penang, detected the stimulant, `Phenylpropanolamine' at a concentration level above the IOC limit.

Popat, waived right to have the `B' sample analysed and declared at the Disciplinary Committee hearing held in Birmingham on March 11 that she had taken `D Cold' Total, a medicine used for treatment for colds and flu since she was suffering from it. The medicine unfortunately had dosage of the banned substance.

The IBF Panel, found her `guilty' of taking the banned substance, though inadvertently, and imposed a minimum ban lasting 90 days, to be run from March 13 to June 12, 2000. Aparna Popat will also forfeit the World ranking points that she had acquired during her Uber Cup matches. The points she earned in subsequent competitions, remain unaffected.

The IBF ban has come as a bolt from the blue for the player and BAI alike. Prakash Padukone, the BAI Executive Director, felt that there was no point in going for an appeal at this stage, as by the time it comes for hearing, much of the ban period would have been over. He told The Hindu, ``It was simply an oversight as the player genuinely had a cold, she would not have reckoned that the medicine would have the banned substance. But BAI and everybody knows that it was not an intentional offence and we stand by her.''

Aparna was upset that she had to pay for what was not really known to her. She said, ``I had taken the D Cold Total, newly introduced in the market and readily available across the counter in the country, as I was suffering from severe cold. Prior to the tournament I had declared that to all concerned including the medical panel. It was pure bad luck, though list of banned substances were on web and IBF statute book, I did not have it on hand. I never though the cold tablet had the banned substance. Since, I was very much in UK for the All England championship, I attended the Disciplinary Committee hearing on March 11 at Birmingham. I had explained to the IBF panel that I had taken the medicine to treat my condition and without knowing that it contained any substance, the use of which has been disapproved by the IBF.''

But her plea had apparently gone in vain and IBF stuck its gun on a minimum ban. In fact, Aparna Popat, who was scheduled to play in the French Open in Paris from March 15, had to give the tournament a skip as the IBF ban was enforced immediately.

Aparna is recovering from the blow. She said, ``I am determined not to allow this temporary non-participation in international tournaments to affect my performance, form or fitness and I am continuing the training and preparations for the forthcoming tournaments with greater dedication and sense of purpose.''

True to her words, she was back on court at the KBA Stadium today, hitting the `bird' with renewed zeal.

IBF, meanwhile, had claimed that this was the fourth instance in last ten years when it has had a `positive' case to deal with. In a statement, IBF Chief Executive, Neil Cameron said, ``I am disappointed that this case means that our anti- doping education and actions have proved insufficient. We must redouble our efforts.''

But many in Indian badminton circles would like to dispute that. The ban on Aparna is being viewed as IBF's attempt to show the IOC in the Olympic year, that badminton remains the cleanest sport. The drug in D Cold is seen as a stimulant, but the fact is that unless there was a sustained intake, it would not have altered the players' performance.

In a press release later, Prakash Padukone accepted the blame on behalf of BAI ``for not educating our players sufficiently regarding the list of banned substances of which there are about 200 items on the IOC list.''

``It is difficult for the players in India to know which medicines can be taken and which are banned. And moreover most of these medicines are available across the counter in India without prescription,'' Prakash added.

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