The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) insists that they have one of the best anti-doping policy in professional sports or in what they claim- the entertainment industry. But even if they managed to outdo their critics, the company is still hounded by steroid use problem. Some retired wrestlers admitted that the nature of their job prompted them to take steroids. This is to cope up with work schedules, injuries and the need to become physically fit. But again this is being denied by the WWE.

Doping Suspension Came Late

Just recently, a wrestling website learned that the WWE decided to suspend one of their wrestlers after 3 weeks. A move that is seen by some as a contradiction to their Talent Wellness Program. The WWE made the announced on Monday that Sin Cara, whose real name is Luis Ignascio Urive Alvirde, is suspended for 30 days for violating the anti-doping policy. The failed drug test, according to online sources, was dated June 23, 2011. However, a source from the WWE contends that they did not get an immediate second opinion or corroborating evidence on Sin Cara’s positive test.

Sin Cara’s Suspension Could be Due to Anabolic Steroids

Though the WWE did not specifically identify what particular substance detected in Sin Cara’s system, most wrestling writers believe that it was caused by anabolic steroids. Under the existing policy of the promotion company, an initial positive test for prohibited substances other than marijuana and alcohol will result to an automatic 30 days suspension. It states that the talent will be fined an amount equal to his earnings during the suspension.

The policy also states that any wrestler violating the policy will be named publicly. But in Sin Cara’s case, it came a little bit late.

Wrestler on Injured List

Another twist in the story of Sin Cara is his inclusion in the injured list. In an announcement made by WWE, Sin Cara suffered a fractured rib during his match against Sheamus. He will be sidelined for 4 weeks which is also equivalent to his 30 days suspension. It is not yet clear whether it will be implement at the same time.

Whether Sin Cara was really injured or not, one thing is evident: Vince McMahon is not satisfied with his performance. According to WWE insiders, Sin Cara was brought to the WWE to replace Rey Mysterio because of the latter’s plan of leaving the company. McMahon also wanted to beef up the presence of Hispanic wrestlers in his roster. However, with the poor performance of Sin Cara and his positive test for steroids, McMahon may decide to get rid of him completely.

The WWE wants to regain dominance in the sports entertainment and the issue of steroid use is not good for company. Aside from that, a neophyte putting your company in the negative spotlight must be taken cared of immediately.

Former UFC middleweight fighter Nate Marquardt was able to get a favorable decision from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission (PSAC) after submitting documents that his testosterone level is on its normal range again. The PSAC recently lifted the suspension of Marquardt which would allow him to fight in any mixed martial arts promotion company. However, it is unfortunate that his best option, the Bellator, can not accommodate him at the moment.

MMA fans were amazed when Dana White terminated him from the UFC after his failure to comply the medical requirements at the Versus 4 event. Nate Marquardt is under testosterone replacement therapy and the athletic commission knows about his condition. However, the commission will only allow him to fight if his testosterone level is at an acceptable range. Though Marquardt was able to defend himself from critics that he did not used steroids secretly, his separation from UFC puts him in limbo now.

Bellator Fighters Wants Marquardt

After the incident, Bellator champions, middleweight Hector Lombard and welterweight Ben Askren, challenged Marquardt to fight them in their respective divisions. When Marquardt admitted that he was under testosterone therapy, Askren made harsh criticism via Twitter. “Marquardt you are a cheater, not once but frequently. Stop cheating, come to bellator and I will crush you,” said Askren.

Not this Time Said Bellator CEO

While many MMA fighters wants to brawl with Marquardt in Bellator, the promotions company told MMA Junkie that Marquardt can’t be accommodated at this time. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney admitted that they had a discussion on Marquardt’s possible inclusion in the company but the current situation doesn’t fit him. “Nate’s situation was pretty unique. It’s an anomaly for a guy like that to become available, so we had discussions. But it just became pretty clear it wasn’t the right fit,” Rebney said.

For Marquardt to get into the Bellator’s system, he has to undergo qualifying matches. But even if Marquardt agrees to the challenge, the current tournament for the welterweight and the middleweight divisions were already loaded with fighters. The tournaments will start this August. “We’re pretty far down the process. If Nate had been available a few months back, maybe things would be different,” added Rebney.

Marquardt Can Fight Outside US

Now that Marquardt had limited options in the US, he can look for other opportunities outside of the country. He can fight in Canada, Europe, or in Japan. However, he can still wait for Bellator or look for ways to convince White to bring him back again to UFC.

Marquardt Fighting Critics

The former UFC top contender is now facing a different battle. He’s gone fighting critics who lambasted him for using testosterone. The most vocal is B.J Penn who’s against the use of performance enhancing drugs in MMA. The former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion used his twitter to air his comments. A tweet quoted by MMA Mania: “I’ll show up to your gym to fight if you do a drug test every week for 3 months. Winner Keeps the video. Lmk (:” B.J.

Penn also added he will beat Marquardt if the latter will come in natural like what he is doing in his entire career. Marquardt responded with a hit to B.J Penn’s head. “How about I give u my most recent and another one now showing that it’s low and I still mop the floor with your midget head?”

But it’s just unfortunate that the two champions can’t settle this battle inside the Octagon.

The national anti-doping agency of India vowed to clean up the country’s national pool of athletes by conducting investigations which includes raids in training centers in the country. There were eight track and field athletes who recently failed anti-doping test for steroids, an incident that caused the termination of the services of track and field coach Yuri Ogorodnik. The Ukrainian coach helped the country win gold in the Commonwealth Games and in the Asian Games last year. However, he was being blamed for the doping scandal.

Athletics Coach Allowed to Leave the Country

The sports authority of India and the committee investigating the fiasco allowed the Ukrainian coach to return home even if the investigation is still on going. According to online reports, after giving statement to the committee created by the sports ministry, the coach was permitted to go home provided he will return to India if summoned. Many people doubts if the coach will come back because he previously told the media that he was being singled out in the doping scandal. Yuri said that he only brings to the country gold and not steroids.

But even if Ogorodnik did not gave steroids to his athletes, the high number of athletes found positive for steroids is already enough to make him responsible. The coach also admitted that he recommended food supplements which were not certified by the Sports Authority of India.

Track Athletes Contend Steroids Came from Supplements

The athletes claim that it could be the food supplements that they were taking that caused the positive test. An athlete alleged that Ogorodnik and two other coaches recommended these supplements when the SAI run out of supply. Mandeep Kaur, Sini Jose and Ashwini Akkunji, all gold medalists in the 400 m relay, are all under Ogorodnik’s supervision.

NADA Raided Another Training Center

While the investigation of the 8 track and field athletes is on-going, the NADA conducted a series of surprised inspection in the training camps. They started in Patiala training center where these women track athletes were caught. A few days later, NADA conducted a raid at the Bangalore SAI Centre.

On Saturday, they also made a surprise inspection at the SAI Center in Bhopal. NADA Director General Rahul Bhatnagar confirmed their actions through a statement. He said that the raiding team was composed of officers from NADA which include technical and doping control officers.

Urine Samples and Supplements Were Taken for Analysis

According to the press release, the team checked the rooms of each athlete for banned substances. Samples of the supplements and other medicines found in each quarter were taken by anti-doping officers for laboratory analysis. A random urine sampling was also conducted by the officers.

NADA said they took 25 urine samples from 20 women and 5 men athletes training at the Bhopal facility. They came from wushu, judo, boxing, hockey and watersports. According to Bhatnagar, all the samples will be sent to the National Dope Testing Laboratory. In a few days or after a week, the public can expect for the result. Sports officials are hoping that no more additional athletes will return positive for using anabolic steroids.

The elimination of the North Korean women soccer team in the early stage of the Women’s World Cup in Germany sends them home early too. But even if they lost all the matches, the North Korean team is still conquering the headlines. Before their match up against Colombia, two of their players were sidelined because they tested positive for anabolic steroids. The positive steroid test of defenders Song Jong-Sun and Jong Pok-Sim prompted the FIFA to oblige the entire team undergo steroid testing.

5 Women Soccer Players Failed Steroid Test

On Saturday, the FIFA announced that they found another three players from the North Korean team who are positive for anabolic steroids. The names of the three women soccer players were still withheld while more information is being gathered. This is so far the worst doping scandal in the World Cup since 1994. Soccer legend Diego Maradona was expelled from the competition because anti-doping officials found in his system a banned stimulant.

The North Koreans has to do a lot of explaining why 5 of their players failed the anti-doping test. FIFA president Sepp Blatter was shocked by this incident. “If we look at a situation where almost the entire team of players is confronted with such a situation, it is a predicament and this is also really hurting us. You can hear the emotion in my voice,” he told the AP.

FIFA is one of the leading sports organizations in the world with a strong stand against doping. This year’s World Cup is now tainted with steroids. “We are confronted with a very, very bad case of doping and it hurts,” said Blatter.

North Korean Sports Officials Cooperating with FIFA

Blatter also said that the North Koreans are cooperating with FIFA about the incident. Officials sent an explanation to the football body and also sent a delegation to discuss the issue with FIFA officials. The chief medical officer of FIFA, Jiri Dvorak, told the media that the North Koreans blamed a Chinese medicine which caused the positive steroid test.

Musk Deer Gland Possible Source of Steroids

According to North Korean sports officials, players were given traditional Chinese medicine when several team members were struck by lightning in a training camp. The team doctor allegedly gave this remedy, which include an extract from musk deer gland, to players who were hospitalized.

FIFA confirmed that the team doctor gave them samples of the medication which returned positive for 14 types of steroids. Though not all of them are considered anabolic, these steroids were also found in the samples of 5 women soccer players.

FIFA admitted that the use of musk deer gland extract is still uncommon in the world of doping. This is the first time they encountered the use of this medicine in soccer football.

FIFA not Ignoring Other Causes

The chairman of FIFA’s medical committee said that it is still hard to determine if the said medicine was the only cause of the failed steroid test. “It is hard to determine right now, exactly where the blame lies and we need to find out more first,” said Michel D’Hooghe.

The case of the 5 North Korean soccer players will be handled by FIFA’S Disciplinary Committee. D’Hooghe said that the North Koreans are fully cooperating with their investigation. “We didn’t have the impression they are trying to hide anything,” D’Hooghe added.

A and B Sample Tested

According to FIFA, the A and B samples of the 5 players were already tested. The Colombian goalkeeper Yineth Varon also failed the anti-doping test. The investigation on Varon revealed that she received three injections of steroids and undergoing hormonal treatment. It is unclear whether the player informed FIFA about her medical condition. The 6 players are facing two-year suspension from the sport.

Meanwhile, the championship title in the Women’s World Cup 2011 is now being contested by Japan and the United States.

Today, we can safely say that steroid use in MLB is not as rampant as before. However, there are still some players who are taking the risks by using banned substances. This is one of the reasons why the major league is continuously improving their current anti-doping initiative. If there are issues that involve MLB players especially when it comes to the use of performance enhancing drugs, the league will surely put someone to look into it.

MLB Wants More Information from Canadian Doctor

The recent plea deal of Dr Anthony Galea is a good development for the league. Dr Galea admitted that he brought unapproved drugs in the country particularly human growth hormone and Actovegin. According to federal investigators, Dr Galea treated at least 23 professional athletes and majority of them were football and baseball players. The plea agreement will surely require Dr Galea to identify athletes he treated with steroids or HGH.

A report from ESPN also revealed that the MLB contacted Dr Galea’s assistant who is also facing similar charges. Mary Anne Catalano’s lawyer said that the league already contacted them about sending league investigators. “I got a phone call from baseball, but I don’t know what her answer is or her position is going to be on that. And it will be driven by both her view on it and what [the U.S. attorney's office] says,” said Rod Personius, Catalano’s lawyer.

The sentencing for Catalano is scheduled on July 25. She pleaded guilty to making false statements when apprehended by Border officers in September 2009. Authorities found in her possession medical supplies and human growth hormones.

Seven Athletes Treated with HGH

Catalano told investigators that Dr Galea treated 23 athletes in the US for a two month period in 2009. What makes the league become more interested on Catalano is her assertion that there were at least 7 athletes who were injected with a mixture of drugs containing Nutropin, a human growth hormone. The treatments were given to athletes suffering from knee injuries. The names of these professional athletes were not yet identified.

Alex Rodriguez, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran were just some of the baseball players treated by Dr Galea. All of them denied being treated with HGH or any banned substance. Dr Galea is famous for his platelet-rich plasma therapy. Tiger Woods, who was also one of the prominent athletes under Dr Galea, was cleared by Catalano’s lawyer saying Woods did not receive any steroid or human growth hormone from the doctor. “The suggestion and rumor was unfair,” Personius said.

“I can tell you categorically that Tiger did not receive either banned or performance-enhancing drugs when treating with Dr. Galea,” he added.

The League Requested Medical Records of Colon

Another issue that the MLB is very much interested is the case of Bartolo Colon. The Yankees pitcher is under scrutiny because of his treatment performed by a doctor using HGH as a method of treatment. Dr Joseph R. Purita treated Colon in the Dominican Republic using stem cell treatment. The league wants to know if the doctor also gave HGH to hasten Colon’s recovery from injuries.

And just recently, the league received the medical records of Colon. It was found out that Dr Purita only supervised the treatment and another doctor performed the stem cell procedure. Dr Sergio Guzman told the media that he was still unpaid by Colon.

The medical records, according to media sources, may not provide the league with pertinent information if Colon was really treated with HGH.

The most anticipated trial after Barry Bonds ended in almost the same fate with the Bonds’ case. Judge Reggie Walton declared mistrial on the perjury case of star pitcher Roger Clemens. The trial which is only on its second day is a big blow to the government’s effort in pursuing professional athletes using steroids.

Judge Declared Mistrial

The prosecution’s arsenal of evidences could have convicted Roger Clemens for lying about his steroid use but their negligence or deliberate defiance of Judge Walton’s pre-trial instructions resulted to an early windup of the case. The prosecution presented to the jury a video of the Congressional investigation in 2008. The video clip showed Rep. Elijah Cummings making positive comments about the credibility of Andy Pettitte as a witness in the enquiry. Pettitte, Clemens former team mate, is one of the witnesses of the prosecution. He is expected to tell the jury that Clemens confided to him about the latter’s use of human growth hormone.

Rep. Cummings also read a deposition of Laura Pettitte, Andy’s wife, claiming that his husband told her about Clemens’ admission of human growth hormone use. Judge Walton immediately halted the presentation and called the lawyers at his bench. The transcript appearing below the paused video presentation reads: “I, Laura Pettitte, do depose and state, in 1999 or 2000, Andy told me had a conversation with Roger Clemens in which Roger admitted to him using human growth hormones.”

Judge Walton already told the prosecution that they can’t use Laura’s testimony because it was an inadmissible evidence. He instructed them to strike out from presentations any of Laura’s statement or even calling Laura as a witness in the trial. But the prosecution committed a big mistake when they showed it to the jurors. “I think that a first-year law student would know that you can’t bolster the credibility of one witness with clearly inadmissible evidence,” Judge Walton told the prosecution.

Prosecution Erred for the Second Time

The irritated judge scolded the prosecution for their flawed strategy and disregard of his orders. Judge Walton already called the attention of the prosecutors Wednesday for mentioning Andy Pettitte and two other team mates that they had used human growth hormones. The judge believes that the video presentation might have influenced the jurors. “Mr. Clemens has to get a fair trial. In my view, he can’t get it now, and that was caused by the government,” he said.

Judge Walton said that he was very troubled how the prosecution handles the case. “A lot of government money has been used to reach this point. The government should have been more cautious. I don’t see how I can un-ring the bell,” he added. A former prosecutor also commented on the error committed by the government. “How could the government not have reviewed each piece of evidence after the court’s pretrial rulings? This is crucially important, and prosecutors have to do this all the time,” said former prosecutor Harry Sandick.

Hearing for Possible Retrial

Judge Walton scheduled a hearing on September 2 for a possible retrial of the Roger Clemens’ perjury case. Legal observers believed that the government will seek for a retrial of the case. Though the issue of double jeopardy may come out, legal experts said it was unlikely because the proceeding has just started. “Generally speaking, mistrial does not bar a trial of the defendant when the defendant requested the mistrial,” said Sandick.

Clemens Silent

Roger Clemens declined to comment on the case when asked by the media. His lawyer, Rusty Hardin, also declined to give any statement because of the gag order issued by Judge Walton. For now, this is a victory for Clemens.