Filip Radojevic, a 22-years old left-handed Partiyan player, returned to the pool last week after a two-year suspension.
In summer in 2017, a big talent of Serbian water polo inadvertently took the medicine “Defrinol”, which contains the banned substance pseudoephedrine. He was positive at the doping test during the World U20 Championships in Belgrade and he was suspended by FINA.
The two-year ban, finally, came to an end ten days ago. Radojevic’s first game after the new beginning was an encounter between Partizan and Primorac in the Regional League
I felt phenomenal when I found myself again in the pool. I think I will be able to help the team to play as best as possible and to try to win the national Cup and the Championship– Radojevic said in an interview for Serbian newspaper „Vecernje Novosti“.
After the summer season in 2017, Radojevic was very happy, but then came a shock.
In 2017, I won the bronze medal with the junior national team at the World Championships and the gold at the Universiade in Taipei. But in November, I received shocking information that I was positive at the doping test. Unfortunately, because of my youth, immaturity, I made a mistake.
He underlined:
My example is a warning to other athletes, especially young people. If I had taken care of myself and if I had thought better of it that an ordinary medicine might contain banned substances, this would not have happened to me. A professional athlete must be careful and well informed about these things.
During these two years, Filip didn’t consider retiring from water polo.
I was thinking just about the future, and that’s how I passed over these two years. I trained individually as much as I could. Because of the rules of the Anti Doping Agencies I was not allowed to practice in the pool with the team. My friend and my trainer Milos Ceh, who was working with me in the gym, suggested that I should practice judo at his Judoka club in order to gain strength. Naturally, I was guarded against injuries. And I can say it has benefited me. Now it’s all behind me, I just want to get back in shape as soon as possible.
Radojevic polo will celebrate his 22nd birthday in a few days. His plans for future are:
I want to play as good as possible, to become a member of the senior national team someday. That motive helped me withstand these two years. I go step by step. I want to help Partizan battle for the trophies. We are young, but I believe in my teammates. We stick together, we become a real team.
