Joseline all set to revive her career after two-year suspension

By LIM TEIK HUAT

PETALING JAYA: Woman pistol shooter Joseline Cheah is no quitter. Make no mistake about it.

While others would have walked away from the sport if they had been hit with a two-year suspension for doping, Joseline, though, chose to serve out the punishment, which ended last week.

Setting her sight: Joseline continued training on her own even after she was suspended for two years for a doping offence. She is now ready to make up for lost time.

Back in 2006, Joseline was 24 and a rising star when she partnered Bibiana Ng to a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

She also competed in the Doha Asian Games later in December, narrowly missing out on the final.

But that was her last international outing as she, Bibiana and Siti Nur Masitah later tested positive for the banned substance propranonol during the President Ally T.H. Ong competition in March the following year.

The shooters pleaded not guilty, claiming that chocolates given to them by Ukrainian coach Anatoly Egrishchin must have contained the banned substance.

The coach left the country a month after the shooters were suspended for two years by the International Sport Shooting Federation (ISSF).

For Joseline, it was the darkest period of her life.

“We were sick not because of allegedly taking the substance but due to the shock of not being able to shoot in competitions for the next two years. What made it worse was that the coach was still around when we tested positive at that time,” said Joseline, still coming to terms with the fact that her budding career ground to an abrupt halt over a substance which she had never even heard of before.

“But there was nothing we could do other than to take responsibility as the substance was in our body,” added Joseline, who is the national record holder in the 10m air pistol.

She is, however, glad that the National Sports Council (NSC) stood by them all through their suspension.

But, more importantly, because her parents were always there for her.

“My parents knew it was not our fault. My mum was very supportive, telling me to just go ahead and continue with the sport if that was what I wanted to do. That was why I continued training on my own even though I was barred from competitions,” said Joseline, the eldest of three siblings.

But that was not the only thing which kept her going.

Having missed the chance to earn qualification for the Beijing Olympics last year because of the ban, Joseline aims to make up for lost time.

“It is this burning desire to get an Olympic gold medal that is driving me on to become a better shooter every day,” said Joseline.

“Now that I can shoot again, I am looking forward to taking part in competitions like the SEA Games in Laos in December. Next year, we will have the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and also the World Championships. I will fight to get in the squad and do the country proud.”

Ironically, Joseline’s first local competition after finishing her two-year ban is – the President Ally T.H. Ong competition in June.-THE STAR