India guns for foreign coaches amid dope scandal
Source: Agencies |
July 6, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
ONE foreign coach has already been fired and others are under intense scrutiny as the government launches a crackdown on drugs in sport amid a deepening doping crisis in Indian athletics.
With eight athletes suspended within a week, including members of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games women's 4x400-meter gold medal winning teams, former Olympians and the public have been escalating demands for the government to intervene.
Sports Minister Ajay Maken responded yesterday by firing Ukrainian Yuri Ogorodnik, coach of six of the athletes named in recent doping cases, and demanding an overhaul of the way anti-doping authorities operate in the country of 1.1 billion. Other coaches have been warned.
"I have asked for his (Ogorodnik's) removal," Maken told a press conference. "All foreign coaches training athletes who test positive will be removed."
Maken has ordered a full inquiry, led by a retired High Court judge or an official of similar rank.
Among the disgraced athletes are Ashwini Akkunji, dubbed India's "Golden Girl," Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose, who were all part of the women's relay squads that won 4x400 meters gold medals at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games and Guangzhou Asian Games last October and November. Akkunji had also won the 400-meters hurdles at Guangzhou. The relay team was considered India's best hope for a medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
Maken wants the national anti-doping agency to track the movement of performance-enhancing drugs and is asking for more sophisticated border controls. "Proper searches will be made, so that such substances do not enter the country," he said.
With eight athletes suspended within a week, including members of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games women's 4x400-meter gold medal winning teams, former Olympians and the public have been escalating demands for the government to intervene.
Sports Minister Ajay Maken responded yesterday by firing Ukrainian Yuri Ogorodnik, coach of six of the athletes named in recent doping cases, and demanding an overhaul of the way anti-doping authorities operate in the country of 1.1 billion. Other coaches have been warned.
"I have asked for his (Ogorodnik's) removal," Maken told a press conference. "All foreign coaches training athletes who test positive will be removed."
Maken has ordered a full inquiry, led by a retired High Court judge or an official of similar rank.
Among the disgraced athletes are Ashwini Akkunji, dubbed India's "Golden Girl," Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose, who were all part of the women's relay squads that won 4x400 meters gold medals at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games and Guangzhou Asian Games last October and November. Akkunji had also won the 400-meters hurdles at Guangzhou. The relay team was considered India's best hope for a medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
Maken wants the national anti-doping agency to track the movement of performance-enhancing drugs and is asking for more sophisticated border controls. "Proper searches will be made, so that such substances do not enter the country," he said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
