Ukrainian coach Yuryi Orgodnik was made the scapegoat in a steroids scandal in India that has embroiled the country’s top women’s track and field athletes. A single-member committee has exonerated the eight athletes for knowingly consuming anabolic steroids.
The “Mudgal Committee” was headed by retired high court Justice Mukul Mudgal. He was selected by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to investigate the analytical positive steroid tests returned by eight Indian athletes during the National Championships in Bangalore.
The Mudgal Committee concluded that the Indian athletes had consumed contaminated Chinese Kianpi Ginseng that was purchased from a local supplement store in Patiala (India). Therefore, the steroid use was accidental and did not represent a deliberate doping violation.
Coach Orgodnik was cited for his “extraordinary greed” in procuring supplements for his athletes in order to profit off its sale.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) ordered an analysis of the ginseng supplement in question when a bottle was provided by one of the steroid-positive athletes – Priyanka Panwar.
The National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) conducted the analyses and discovered that the ginseng supplement was contaminated with methandienone (Dianabol) and stanozolol (Winstrol).
All eight athletes – Ashwini Akkunji, Mandeep Kaur, Sini Jose, Jauna Murmu, Tiana Mary, Priyanka Panwar, Hari Krishnan and Sonia Kumari – tested positive for methandienone.
But only two athletes tested positive for stanozolol.
Orgodnik refuted the conclusions of the committee and maintained he has been set up as the scapegoat.
“I cannot believe the girls tested positive for the same anabolic steroid. I have never given any anabolic steroid to any athlete. I am not to blame for it. The athletes have taken only food supplements and those could be contaminated,” Orgodnik said.
“I did not play any role in the doping scandal. I have been set up and this is an attempt to tarnish my reputation,” Orgodnik said.
“We bought supplements together. I have given them only food supplements and no other tablets. If somebody mixed something with the food supplements how would you know that?”
The independence of the Mudgal Committee investigation has been questioned. The scapegoating of coach Yuryi Orgodnik was seen as a little too convenient. The SAI was responsible for original hiring Orgodnik to coach the women’s 4×400 track team. The SAI was responsible for finding the alleged tainted ginseng supplement. And SAI was responsible for analyzing the supplement.
The Mudgal Committee report will have no impact on the decision to ban the eight athletes for doping offenses. The India National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) is expected to announce its decision soon.
Source:
Singh, N. (December 16, 2011). Coach’s greed led to doping scandal, says probe report. Retrieved from http://www.hindustantimes.com/sports-news/OtherSports/Coach-s-greed-led-to-doping-scandal-says-probe-report/Article1-782031.aspx
Thomas, M. (July 9, 2011). I bought supplements from a chemist in Patiala: Sacked Ukrainian coach Ogorodnik. Retrieved from http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-09/athletics/29755111_1_supplements-priyanka-pawar-athletes
