Pradipkumar Singh tends to his flowers at his residence. A Telegraph picture

Imphal, Dec. 24: He defied social stigma, physical weakness and above all, one of the most dreaded diseases to flex his rippling muscles.

Meet Khundrakpam Pradipkumar Singh, 37, who won the Senior Mr Manipur title in the 60-kg category organised by the All Manipur Body Building Association last week.

His achievement comes seven years after he tested HIV positive in 2000.

“I wanted to show the world that HIV positive people could live a healthy life and be successful in sports. I took up the challenge and I think I have won,” Pradipkumar, a resident of Khamnam Leirak in Imphal West, said today.

The fourth of five children of retired government official Kalachand Singh and Mema Devi, a former teacher, Pradipkumar took to drugs after passing the matric examination. He was hooked on heroin, locally known as “number 4”, in the intravenous form.

After graduating from Utkal University, he joined Kumaon University for a master’s degree but did not complete the course. He contracted the virus through sharing of syringes and needles.

Pradipkumar began body-building when he was quite young and won a gold medal when he was 16 at a state-level contest organised by a club in Imphal West.

After testing HIV positive, doctors and his parents advised him to stop bodybuilding.

“I did not want to step out of my house then. All my friends stayed away from me. Then I started planting flowers at home. One day, I visited Eagle Guide Gym and tried free hand exercises,” he said.

That afternoon in 2001 was a turning point in his life. Encouraged by a friend, he started “heavy” exercise. Last year, he won a silver medal in the state-level bodybuilding competition in the 60-kg category.

After winning the Senior Mr Manipur title last week, he contested for the Mr Manipur crown but was not successful. “I sometimes feel the pain. I took painkillers twice on the day of the competition last week because of a pain in the left shoulder.”

Pradipkumar aims at a gold medal in the 2008 Senior Mr India contest in the 60-kg category. The contest is likely to be held in April in Uttar Pradesh. But what really keeps him striving is a greater dream. “I want to compete at international level,” the bodybuilder said.