Stud then, dud now?

It's been a very intriguing bit last few days in the Vijender Singh's Heroingate (if I may call it). The arguments for and against Vijender have been silly as well as incisive. His brand managers feel that his stocks aren't going down the drains soon, they may be correct in their assessment for Vijender's involvement has been established for consumption and not peddling. 

And all that after denying at first, then his friend, accomplice and fellow boxer Ram Singh saying they consumed it thinking it was food supplement only few times and latest being that the former World No. 1 consumed it 12 times. From nothing to something. This shows that Vijender's link is supposed to be running deeper than consuming it as food supplements or for fun.

If Vijender had nothing to lie or hide, he or his team (managers) should have come out in open. But they didn't, cooking up their next plan of action. This all may sound like conspiracy theory or trial by media, but then you are a public figure, a sports icon and therefore subject to public scrutiny. It may be fair or unfair, but then not many people have faith in the system to find the real truth or even get a fair trial.

While many of his supporters, fans and of course stakeholders feel he deserves leniency or pardon, but doesn't he or all of us understand that he also was looked upon by many, and mind you not only the aspiring boxers. A rare breed of an Indian athlete, an Olympic medal winner, India's answer to Rocky, stuff of fantasy he was. 

Probably that went into his head. He could not manage to keep himself rooted to his modest background. He probably got everything on the platter, or say it on the house, after Olympics while his journey till then was about a bus driver father working double shifts to pay for the boxing training. That's where he has faltered. 

Self control, staying away from drugs, be it leisure or performance enhancing, will power, healthy habits define an athlete's life. And being a boxer, these are the things that would on the top of the 'things-to-do'. It's a crime, if proven guilty, what he has done and a rap on the knuckles will just not work. 

It's very similar to the Michael Phelps case where he was caught smoking a marijuana pipe. But in that case, the champion swimmer was straightened by US Swimming and was suspended from competition for three months.

Their statement too was pretty upright and message clear. "We decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and hero," the organization had said in a statement then.

And Phelps being arguably the most decorated Olympian of all time too admitted his mistake and apologised saying, "It's a bad judgment. I can learn from it." But none of it what happened in case of Phelps is going to happen with Vijender. Neither the IABF is likely to do anything, nor Vijender looks like apologising, since he says he hasn't consumed it at all.

There is a lesson here for Vijender from Phelps. Confession might be the best thing. He can sober up after this as the nation watches him take the next step. And if he comes back harder, stronger and a winner, that will define if he was a real stud or a dud.