Bangalore: P T Usha’s Statement Disheartens Athlete Ashwini Akkunji
Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Jul 14: Performances of Ashwini Akkunji from Udupi district, who rose to stardom by winning medals in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, have come under clouds. Even those who had failed to sit up and take notice of this golden girl’s contributions to the country then, have not lost time in heaping criticisms on her for failing in the dope test. Ashwini, whose future has suddenly turned bleak because of the controversy, and other athletes like her, are distraught at the onslaught of adverse comments being passed against them by even seasoned athletes, at whom they have been looking at for support for boosting their sagging morale.
“I have immense respect for P T Usha. I never expected her to give derogatory statements at athletes who have come up by sweating it out. I am really hurt from the statement issued by this celebrated athlete against my performances,” Ashwini said, speaking to Kannada daily, ‘Udayavani’.
Ashwini reiterated her earlier claim that she had never knowingly consumed any performance-enhancing drugs or steroids. “In the incident concerning failing of the dope test, I was not to be blamed. I confirm I did nothing wrong. The fact that people have begun doubting the genuineness of my past glorious performances has hurt me very much,” Akkunji added. She said she is determined to come out of the dumps and hit back her critics with her future performances.
She said that she had taken 59.49 seconds to cover 400 metres in Commonwealth Games, and improved the same to 56.15 seconds in Asian Games. “There is nothing superhuman in this feat, as termed by Usha. I have worked hard for a number of years to achieve this goal. I feel P T Usha could not digest the fact that another athlete from the country has been matching up to her celebrated performances, and that might have tempted her to issue insinuative statement against me,” Ashwini felt. Ashwini also does not rule out the chances of professional jealousy having played a role behind the doping scandal involving several athletes.
Akkunji said she is aware about the ill-affects of the performance-enhancing drugs and that she and other athletes never consume anything without consultation and guidance. She also questioned as to how would she have known if some drugs had been mixed with the food served to her. Pooh-poohing the doubts expressed about her previous records, she said she had undergone doping test after winning gold medal in Commonwealth Games and twice more, during the Asiad in China. “I also provided samples for the doping tests twice at the Grand Prix tournaments. I have never hesitated in exposing myself to these tests whenever called upon. I have however, no clue how substances of banned drugs got into my system, as found during the test conducted at Bangalore,” she said.
Ashwini said she is very much distraught by the doubts expressed by people about the genuineness of her past performances. “Just because Pakistani bowler, Shoaib Akhtar, had failed doping test once does not mean that all his performances were aided by drugs. It is wrong to link them. After the episode, I spoke to coach, Yuri Ogorodnik. I have found that he was innocent. He is sad at the unexpected developments,” she added.