Cancer survivor returns to court

Normally, the national championship in badminton, to be held in Prerov Feb. 4-6, would draw interest from only the sport's keenest enthusiasts. But this year's tournament is attracting attention from people who've barely even heard of the game.

All eyes will be on Petr Koukal as he tries to defend his national title, but more importantly, the tournament will represent the 24-year-old's return to competition after a four-month struggle with cancer.

Koukal has dominated the game in this country for the past five years, qualifying for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. In order to further improve his game, Koukal hired a new coach from Indonesia - a capital of badminton - before the start of this season. He underwent one training session last September before a routine medical check revealed some shocking news: Koukal had to undergo immediate surgery for testicular cancer.

However, Koukal never lost sight of a return to the court.

"The first question I asked my doctor was when I would be able to start playing again," he said. "From the very beginning, I took the disease as the next opponent I had to beat. I repeated to myself that I needed to recover quickly in order to get ready for the Czech championship. ... The championship was something like a lighthouse for me when I could not play."

Koukal's unyielding drive brought him back to the courts in the midst of his treatment. After the first of three cycles of chemotherapy, he took part in an Extraliga match.

"People around thought I was just having a laugh and that I traveled with the team just for fun," Koukal said. "But I did play, and I won in straight sets."

Soon after, he even considered playing at an international tournament in Denmark. Prior to departure, however, he realized that his medicine contained a banned substance. He gave up on playing in that event but later asked for and was granted a special exemption that enabled him to participate in a tournament in France. Although Koukal lost in the first round of that tournament, he insisted it was a major boost.

"The overall atmosphere out there was quite emotional," Koukal said. "Fans were cheering me; coaches and my opponents wished me good luck. No one there was telling me that it was foolish and that I should have stayed in bed, as some people here did."

Doctors have cleared Koukal's return to the courts with the stipulation that he continue to get regular medical checkups.

"They told me that I'm healthy again now," Koukal said.

Koukal said his quick return to the courts and even his decision to play during medical treatment raised speculation whether reports about his disease were exaggerated. Later on, he began receiving e-mails from fans, and Koukal said he was irritated by those wary of his early return.

"They wrote that I should forget about the Czech championship and that it could take a couple of years to get fit," he said. "They didn't know that the opportunity to start playing, even at the expense of being more tired than usual, is what was giving me crucial power."

Now, as well as getting back into shape for the Czech championship, Koukal is preparing a documentary about his comeback.

"I want to make a documentary that could become an inspiration for guys with diseases similar to what I struggled with," Koukal said.

František Bouc can be reached at
fbouc@praguepost.com