From the original 6 athletes who failed the anti-doping test, the number now reached to eight. Two more women track and field athletes returned positive for anabolic steroids based on the recent test of the National Anti-doping Agency.

This is considered as one of the worst doping scandal in professional sports in India. Sports officials were enraged by the high number of athletes found using performance enhancing drugs because most of them are bound for the 2012 London Olympics.

Aside from embarrassment, the country’s bid for Olympic gold in the track and field diminished because of the scandal. In fact, three women in 400m women relay, who won gold in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games last year, failed the doping test. The sports ministry is now initiating a thorough investigation on the matter to determine the culpability of the involved athletes and other sports officials.

Athletics Coach First Casualty

But even if the investigation is still on-going, the sports minister already fired the athletics coach. India’s Sport Minister Ajay Maken told the local media that they already dismissed athletics coach Yuri Ogorodonik. The majority of the women athletes caught using steroids were under his tutelage. “The positive dope tests of eight athletes brought disgrace to the sporting fraternity and the entire country,” said Maken.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) also conducted raids in the Pattiala training camp where these doping athletes were housed. According to online reports, two SAI officials handling the athletes training programme and officials of the hostel where women athletes are staying were also dismissed.

Maken stressed that coaches and sports officials should be held accountable for what happened to their athletes. “Athletes will get punished in form of suspensions, bans and losing their medals… but we can’t let the coaches and any official involved get away scot-free,” he told the media. This will also result to the implementation of stricter policies against erring coaches and officials in the future.

Ukrainian Coach Not Taking the Blame

The Ukrainian coach, who worked with the national athletics squad for more 10 years, was not happy with the decision of the sports ministry. Ogorodonik insist that he is not involved or in any way encouraged doping of his athletes. Of the 8 athletes, 6 of them were trained by the Ukrainian coach.

The sprint coach argued that food supplements purchased outside of the training camp might be the cause of positive test. He is asking why the government is not taking immediate action to test these supplements. “I told the athletes to buy only the food supplements and not steroids,” he said.

Ogorodonik also contend that as a professional coach he would not advise his athletes to take steroids. He knows that they are on WADA’s watch list. “I am not a fool to tell athletes to buy and consume something which is in the WADA list. I have given only medals and not steroids,” he added.

Vitamin Supplements Possible Source of Steroids

Those tested positive for anabolic steroids believe that the vitamin supplements could be the source of the banned substance. The food supplements were recommended by their coach but Ogorodonik denied that he knows it contain steroids. “I admit giving the athletes food supplements, which were not supplied by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), but there is no guarantee that those supplements contained banned anabolic steroids,” he said during an interview.

As expected, Dr Anthony Galea pleaded guilty to some of the charges filed against him but in return he has to help the government identify professional athletes who were treated with banned substances. In the hearing Wednesday, Dr Galea admitted that he brought to the country unapproved and misbranded drugs.

Charges Includes Distribution of HGH

The famous Canadian sports doctor was indicted last year. He was accused of distributing human growth hormone, smuggling, bringing in unapproved drugs into interstate commerce and conspiracy. The unapproved drugs were nutropin, a human growth hormone and Actovegin. He is also facing similar charges in Canada.

Prosecutors also contend that Dr Galea practiced medicine in the country without a license. According to federal investigators, the doctor traveled to the US several times since 2007 and treated at least 20 professional athletes in their homes or hotels. It was estimated that the sports medicine doctor earned at least $800,000 from his clients. The total amount of drugs that he dispensed also ranges from $30,000 to $70,000.

A-Rod, Tiger Woods, Jose Reyes et al

Majority of Dr Galea’s clients came from the Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL) and the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA). While Alex Rodriguez and Tiger Woods denied that they were treated with HGH or steroids, investigators are still looking for the possibility that the Canadian doctor gave them something illegal. New York Mets Jose Reyes and Carlo Beltran were also treated by Dr Galea. Two NFL players were also named as former patients of the doctor. They were NFL linebacker Takeo Spikes and retired running back Jamal Lewis.

According to prosecutors, Dr Galea allegedly treated at least 7 professional athletes with drug mixtures containing human growth hormones. Others were also treated with Actovegin, a drug not approved in the US. Actovegin is a derivative of Calf’s blood which is then injected to patients.

On the other hand, most of the professional players treated by the Canadian doctor only acknowledged the use of platelet-rich plasma therapy. This treatment method is effective in the faster recovery of athletes from injuries.

Most of the Charges Dropped

The plea deal resulted to the dropping of other charges against Dr Galea but he may still receive up to two years jail term. The smuggling, distributing HGH and conspiring to lie to federal agents and defraud the U.S. government charges were withdrawn. He also forfeited $275,000 and a fine of $250,000.

His sentencing is scheduled on October 19. Dr Galea’s assistant who was caught in the Canada-US border with human growth hormone, Actovegin and other homeopathic drugs is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.

While Galea will be getting a lighter sentence, his cooperation with the government will definitely give rise to more investigations against professional athletes and probably filing charges against them. The prosecution will not agree to the plea deal if they did not get valuable information from the Canadian doctor.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is busy promoting his September 17 fight against Victor Ortiz. On the sidelines, however, he is also fighting the steroid defamation suit filed by Manny Pacquiao. This is of course aside from the many other legal troubles the former pound for pound king is currently facing. Since he wants to concentrate on his training, the Mayweather’s camp filed an appeal to postpone the hearing after the Mayweather-Ortiz fight. The court required him to make a deposition last June 17 but he ignored it. Instead he filed an appeal asking a federal court to issue a protective order.

Appeal no Basis said Judge

However, US District Judge Larry Hicks denied Mayweather’s request. The federal judge cited lack of legal basis for the postponement of the deposition or overturning the order of the lower court. “Mayweather Jr. does not provide any points and authorities in support of his motion other than to state that this court should reverse the magistrate’s order,” the judge said.

The camp of Manny Pacquiao is asking for a default judgment because of the continued refusal of Mayweather. They argued that the appeal is irrelevant because they already negotiated several times with Mayweather’s lawyer for his court appearance. Though it is a clear legal strategy to delay the proceedings, the lawyers of Mayweather might be running out of excuses already. If they can’t convince the court to postpone the deposition after the September fight, it will surely affect Floyd’s training. Appearing in court and giving testimony while preparing for Ortiz is definitely not a good scenario for Floyd.

Public Apology is not in the Picture

A lawyer of Mayweather told the Las Vegas Review Journal that they are still negotiating with Pacquiao’s lawyers. “I’ve had correspondence with opposing counsel and we’ll try and find a solution. If possible, we’d like to have the deposition after Sept. 17,” said Tratos.

He also clarified there was no truth about the rumors that the defamation suit will be dropped if Floyd will make a public apology just like what Oscar de la Hoya made recently. “Believe me, if it was an apology that was necessary, this case would have been gone a long time ago,” the lawyer said.

Mayweather Still Open to a Pacquiao Fight

In a recent stop in New York, Mayweather told the media that he is willing to fight the 8 World division champion Manny Pacquiao. “I want to fight the best they got out there — not just him, the best they got out there. And if he’s on the list as one of the best guys, then absolutely,” said Mayweather. This is in response to issues that he is afraid of Pacquiao.

Floyd: Pacquiao is not Taking Steroids

During the press conference, Floyd took another unusual move. He is now saying that he did not accused Pacquaio of taking performance enhancing drugs. “I’ve never said that Manny Pacquiao was taking steroids, I never said he was taking enhancement drugs,” he said.

The AP also quoted Floyd saying that he is referring to sports and not just Pacquiao. “If you look at sports in the Olympics, they’re cheating. Everyone is cheating. And I never once said Manny Pacquiao was cheating, only thing I said was this: Me and any other opponent I face must take the test,” Mayweather said.

Florida health officials dubbed the operation of a Jensen Beach pharmacy as one of the largest steroid supplier in the country. Their investigation together with the Drug Enforcement Agency revealed that the pharmacy was able to dispense thousands of anabolic steroids and human growth hormones in just a six month period.

The pharmacy is a legitimate business but their operation was shady because of the large number of steroid sales. According to health officials, they are filling prescriptions from doctors who have not conducted physical examinations on their patients.

Thousands of Anabolic Steroids and HGH

In the press release issued by the health authorities, the pharmacy dispensed at least 10,774 prescriptions for anabolic-androgenic steroids and HGH in a six-month period. Most of these steroid prescriptions were shipped outside of Florida and sent to clients in the Virgin Islands, Guam, Finland and Canada. The pharmacy, which is registered as Treasure Coast Specialty Pharmacy Inc., also dispensed 3,703 Schedule II substances mostly Oxycodone.

Doctors Signed Prescriptions without Physical Exam

Authorities also learned that doctors connected with the pharmacy signed prescriptions without physical examinations. These are mostly done through the internet. The almost 11,000 filled prescriptions for steroids and HGH came from 57 physicians and 30 of them came from Florida. The report also states that a Florida doctor signed almost half of the anabolic steroids and human growth hormones which were mostly shipped to international customers.

Internet based steroid suppliers recruited doctors to sign prescriptions for their online customers. They would, in turn, pay these doctors for every signed prescription. These online steroid businesses set up arrangement with pharmacies around the country. Based on the information gathered by the Department of Health, the Treasure Coast Pharmacy filled prescriptions for a Tennessee based clinic and from an online steroid seller in Kansas.

Prescriptions signed without consultation entail great risks. Doctors who signed online prescriptions can’t determine if the patient or client do have a legitimate medical need for the steroids. It is also difficult to determine the appropriate dosages and length of medication. Investigators also learned that some doctors self-prescribed steroid which is a violation of existing state laws.

Immediate closure of the Pharmacy

The DEA prohibits the pharmacy to dispense more steroids and HGH while health officials ordered an immediate closure of the pharmacy. Federal agents and local authorities confiscated several boxes of documents and other pertinent records from the pharmacy. A DEA spokesman told a local media that the raid is part of an on-going federal investigation and no arrests have been made. The owners of the pharmacy can still appeal the closure order according to the health department’s press release.

Pharmacy Linked to Steroid Cases

Online sources revealed that the Treasure Coast Pharmacy was implicated in other federal investigation specifically the case of Signature Pharmacy in Orlando. There was also another report that the pharmacy produced steroid candies which alarmed the DEA because it may land in the hands of children.

The said steroid candies allegedly contain the popular steroid Stanozolol. Discussion in bodybuilding forums also revealed that the said pharmacy dispense various anabolic steroids like topical and injectable testosterone, nandrolone, and stanozolol

We all know that UFC fighter Shane Carwin was implicated in a steroid ring. This happened when he was named as one of the clients of a compounding pharmacy involved in illegal prescriptions of anabolic steroids. Though Carwin has never been tested positive for steroids, MMA fans are speculating that the heavyweight fighter might still be using the said performance enhancing drug. His recent fight in Vancouver Canada last June is his chance to prove that he is not pumped up with steroids. However, anti-doping officials decided not to subject him to steroid testing.

The Reason

The Vancouver Athletic Commission (VAC) said in a statement that Carwin was exempted because of his medical condition after the fight. Carwin lost to Junior Dos Santos. He suffered multiple facial lacerations and a nasal fracture which requires immediate medical attention. Though Carwin still insists to be tested, the VAC opted to exempt him. “Despite Mr. Carwin’s willingness to complete the sample collection process, the VAC unilaterally exercised its discretion to rescind its selection of Mr. Carwin for anti-doping testing shortly following his bout at the event,” VAC told the media. The commission’s unilateral decision was based on fairness and fighter safety.

Other Fighters Tested

Other fighters in the main event were tested for performance enhancing, recreational, and drugs of abuse. All of them returned negative results. Under the VAC testing procedures, fighters are only tested after the fight. VAC told MMAJunkie that there were no pre-fight testing conducted on these fighters. “Under the Commission’s procedures, as implemented by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport at the event, those athletes selected for anti-doping testing were tested only after their contest,” said VAC representative Jonathan Tweedale.

The urine samples of UFC 131 fighters were sent to a laboratory accredited by WADA.

Carwin Can’t Fight for 60 Days

The suspension on Carwin is not caused by any violation of anti-doping policy. He was advised not to engage in any contact during training in the next 45 days because of the injuries he suffered. He can only return to the octagon after 60 days.

Marquardt’s Trainer Not Tolerating Fighters Using PED’s

The release of Nate Marquardt from the UFC affected not only his career but also the people around him. Marquardt was replaced from Versus 4 because of high levels of testosterone in his system. Though he contends that he is under testosterone replacement therapy, the levels were still high a day before the fight which caused his suspension and replacement.

TRT is seen by some as a method used by athletes in circumventing the anti-doping policy of most sports organizations. The UFC allows the use of steroids as long as the fighters get the therapeutic use exemption but this comes with strict conditions.

Now, the media is asking Marquardt’s trainer if he knows the medical condition of his athlete and if he allow such treatment on his fighters. Trevor Wittman, the head trainer of Grudge, has no other option but to take a stand on this issue. In an interview with MMA Fighting, Wittman said that he is not in favor of testosterone replacement therapy on MMA fighters. “To me, if your testosterone levels are getting lower over the years, that’s normal. You’re getting older,” said Wittman. Though a 21-year old fighter might have high levels of testosterone, an older fighter still has many advantages, his experience and knowledge.

The trainer said that he knows Marquardt is under TRT treatment. But for him, the method can still be considered as enhancing. He also told the MMA site that he’s talking with his fighters and asked them if they are seeing a doctor for a treatment or medication. “If it’s anything that has to do with enhancing, then I’m going to step away,” Wittman said.

As the National Anti-Doping Agency of India continuously test athletes for performance enhancing drugs, the country’s chance of winning gold medals in the 2012 London Olympics is also waning. A few days ago, two of their women track athletes failed a doping test. They were part of the 6 new athletes found using anabolic steroids. Track gold medalist Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose were provisionally suspended while their B samples are tested. The two women runners helped the country win gold in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games last year. They competed in the 4×400m relay category.

Kaur told the local media that she was not taking any banned substance. “I have full faith that I did nothing wrong. I don’t understand what’s happened. There could have been problems with food supplements or minerals that we have taken,” she said. Kaur knows that steroids stays in the body for months so taking them would just put her career in danger. The track and field athlete is firm that she will prove her innocence. “I’m not giving up. I will practice for the Olympics,” she added.

2-Year Ban, No Olympics

If the B samples of these athletes still returned positive for steroids, they will definitely received an automatic two year ban from the sport. NADA director-general Rahul Bhatnagar already hinted that it would be difficult for these athletes to evade suspension because they competed in the national level. “With steroids I’m doubtful if they would get a reprieve. If they’re banned for two years, they won’t get a chance to compete in the Olympics,” Bhatnagar told AFP.

V.K. Malhotra, the acting president of the Indian Olympic Association, also want harsh punishment on these athletes once found guilty. “The winning of medals at the cost of shame to the entire nation is not proper,” he told a local TV network. The Olympic official also asked the Athletics Federation to impose a mandatory drug testing of all athletes before competing in any game. Malhotra admitted that this incident will affect their chances of getting gold in the coming Olympics.

Food Supplements and Coaches Blamed

These athletes contend that that failed test could be due to food supplements. However, the Athletics Federation of India doubts that this is a case of tainted supplement. “There is no chance these steroids came from the food supplements being given at the national camps,” said AFI director M L Dogra. Nevertheless, the AFI will conduct an inquiry to know whether this large number of positive test was caused by food supplements taken by athletes from outside national camps.

Another issue raised by some observers is the presence of Ukrainian coaches in India’s training pool. There have been previous incidents where Ukranian coaches were involved in giving steroids to their trainees. However, the AFI brushed aside this allegation. “The talk of foreign coaches being hand in glove are also not true,” Dogra said.

Athletes on Anabolic Steroids

Aside from Kaur and Jose, two female 400m runners were also caught positive for steroids. They were Jauna Murmu and Tiana Mary Thomas. Jauna tested positive for the metabolites of methandienone while Thomas returned positive for Stanozolol and epimethandiol. The test for Sini Jose, long jumper Harikrishnan and Haryana shot-putter Sonia also returned positive for methandienone metabolites.

Increase the number of Steroid Testing

The increasing number of positive test for anabolic steroid is a continuing concern for NADA. In just a span of 1 year, the total number of athletes caught using anabolic steroids already reached to 122. The anti-doping agency doesn’t want their athletes bring more shame to the country when the London 2012 Olympics begin. According to NADA director, they will intensify the drug testing including surprise tests and even checking the player’s locker room if needed.

NADA is hoping to complete at least 3,500 steroid tests this year. “We want to make it 4,500 next year, so that it acts as a deterrent for any athlete contemplating a shortcut to success,” said Bhatnagar.