 "Karnam Malleswari")
Olympic bronze-medallist lifter Karnam Malleswari feels generating awareness is a more effective solution to overcome the doping menace prevalent in sports such as weightlifting than punishing athletes.
Weightlifting has been marred by doping. Scores of doping cases have been uncovered in the sport in recent years. The problem was so bad that weightlifting faced the risk of removal from the Olympics Games.
India too ranks very high in doping violations.
"Weightlifting has a bad reputation for doping but it's (doping) there everywhere. I have an academy and when I meet the children I just say 'do not listen to wrong guidance'," Malleswari told PTI on Tuesday.
"There is no drug that can make you a champion. Apni lagan, concentration aur mehnat par vishwas rakho (keep faith in your perseverance and hard work).
"Doping se career kharab hoga (Doping will spoil your career)," she added.
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More often than not, weightlifters unknowingly end up consuming supplements that have substances that are on the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) prohibited list.
"Only consume supplements after getting them checked in a proper lab. NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency) and WADA are spreading awareness. I'm a part of it, we try to raise awareness because punishment is not the only solution.
"If lifters understand it's bad for them then they will never dope," she added.
One of the best lifters of her generation, Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal when she clinched the 69kg bronze in 2000. It was the country's first and only medal of the Sydney Games.
India is hosting the Commonwealth Championships for the second time, having successfully organised it in Pune in 2015.
Over 250 weightlifters from 20 countries will be competing across the senior, junior, and youth categories in the five-day tournament, starting on Wednesday here.
"Our IWLF has done well to give athletes this international exposure. Such tournaments are important for weightlifting in our country.
"There are some strong countries here, who win medals at the Asian and World level. Participating in tournaments gives a chance to our athletes to see the technique of these players," the decorated weightlifter added.
Indian weightlifters relish competing in Commonwealth tournaments where traditional powerhouses like China do not compete. But only a handful of Indian weightlifters manage to succeed at the World or Asian level.
"World championships and Olympics need qualifications. But competition is competition. Each competition increases the confidence of the athletes and also gives them exposure. There may be some who get nervous at events so by competing they get rid of it," Malleswari said.
The-48-year-old Khel Ratna awardee is optimistic about Indian weightlifting's future.
"The future looks great. Weightlifting is spreading in different states. In the coming years, we will see it coming up. We have a lot of talent in the country," Malleswari said.
Hope my biopic motivates girls living in the interiors
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There are talks of a biopic on the life of Malleswari, who hails from a small village in Andhra Pradesh.
The two-time World Championships gold medallist hopes if the movie is made it would be true to her struggles and not add 'masala'.
"My vision is to see the real Malleswari, not masala. I hope to motivate the girls in the interior areas. If they are inspired, I'll be happy.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
