Radhika Awati is a name to reckon with in the fraternity of Indian fencing. The five-time senior national champion and participant in several international competitions since 2009 in the junior and senior categories including an individual silver and a team gold in the South Asian Games in 2019 won a gold medal also in 2022 National Games. 

Even Radhika, although failing to secure a berth for the Tokyo Olympics 2021, earned the eighth spot in the Olympics qualifier. 

But a homeopathy doctor from Pune named Paresh Rajput's flawed treatment and faulty medicine have thrown Radhika toward a miserable state, forcing the international fencer to take a break from the game. 

Radhika revealed during a telephonic conversation with Trivandrum, "I was plagued by high fever a couple of days before the national championship last year. Amidst the situation, I found that homeopathy doctor. He gave me the tablet to recover from the fever. Then within the next few months, I was under NADA's scanner and they put me on the list of doped athletes."

Radhika has not been suspended by NADA. Still she has been advised by the Fencing Association of India (FAI) to take a sabbatical. She has not yet been cleared to resume participating in the competitions and has already missed nationals and more unfortunately the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.

Radhika explained, "Fencing is such a game that does not need steroids. You need to be cerebral as well as you need to have an exquisite fitness feel. So, we do not need it. Still, due to the doctor's faulty medicine, my career got tumbled."

Radhika after being passionate about the game in her school in Sangli, Maharashtra was shifted to Kerala’s Thalassery due to the coach, Sagar Lagu who taught her the basics and induced her passion for fencing. She was then studying ninth standard only."

She added, "She remembered, "Initially it was hard days for me. Marathi was my language. I had to start learning Malayalam. The food was completely different in Kerala from Maharashtra which I had to cope with gradually. I used to represent Maharashtra. So I had to travel to Maharashtra whenever I went to participate in the nationals my father who has only small agricultural land of sugarcane had to bear the high-priced traveling expenses."

Radhika finally overcame all those hurdles. Even due to consistent performance at the national and international level she has also been given the fencing equipment of international standard from SAI which generally costs nearly Rs 40 thousand.

Now, the 29-year-old fencer is waiting for FAI advice. She expressed gratitude stating, "I went into depression. But my parents, friends, and the FAI people have all stood beside me and inspiring continuously." 

According to Radhika age is only a number. “Fencing is called the game of maturity. It is said that a player can deliver his or her best only after crossing 25 or 26 years. So I am not anxious about my age.” 

Radhika is continuing her training. She also got a job at the Kerala government’s sports department a couple of years ago. She is in a mental transition, trying to supersede the traumatic present to a bright future once again.