Sports Ministry sacked India's Athletics Coach, Yuri Ogrodnik in the backdrop of Dope Scandal

The Sports Ministry on 5 July 2011 sacked India's athletics coach, Yuri Ogrodnik of Ukrain. Sports Minister Ajay Maken asked Sports Authority of India, SAI, to immediately relieve coaches attached to the Indian athletes who failed in the Dope test.

An inquiry was also ordered into the whole doping episode. Sports Minister Ajay Maken asked the head of the ministry's Sports Authority of India to submit a report within three days, explaining how the banned substances reached a training camp in Patiala, where a majority of the athletes were based.

Measures were being taken by the National Anti Dope Agency (NADA) to prevent the occurrence of dope in sports and the agency decided to increase the frequency of the dope tests. Movement of drugs in and around the campus area of Training Centres would also be tracked.

Every doping incident involves personal disgrace, banning and even threats of withdrawal of medals of the accused athletes. The ministry emphasised that the role of supporting coaches, doctors and officials needs to be inquired.

Seven of the eight athletes tested positive for methandienone or methandrostenolone in the dope tests conducted on 27 June 2011 at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala and the National Anti-Doping Agency approved the suspension of the guilty athletes. 

The crisis engulfing Indian athletics deepened as Ashwini Akkunji became the third member of the famed 4x400m relay team to test positive for anabolic steroids. Quarter-milers Ashwini and Priyanka Panwar have added their names to the infamous list of dope-tainted athletes. Tiana Mary Thomas was the third athlete to have tested positive for a banned substance. Mandeep Kaur, Sini Jose, Manjeet Kaur, Jauna Murmu and Priyanka Panwar were the others who tested positive.

Methandienone or methandrostenolone is an orally-effective anabolic steroid used for muscle growth by bodybuilders. The substance is readily available in various countries without preion but it is included in the list of prohibited substance of the World Anti- Doping Agency, WADA.