New Delhi: Sacked Ukrainian coach Yuri Ogrodnik, who trained India’s quarter-milers caught in doping, Tuesday claimed innocence and said that he was being set-up.
The Ukrainian said that he is a professional and never suggested athletes that they take steroids.
“The first thing I want to say is that I have given the athletes only food supplements. I am working here for 12 years. I have never given anabolic steroids. I have been set-up. I can’t believe this all has happened,” he told a television channel.
“Every player has their food supplement plan. I have prohibited this steroid 20 years ago. It is a bad anabolic. It’s dirty trick played by someone. I am not stupid to advise these substances to athletes. I am a professional. I called the doctors in Ukraine to find out and there is nothing in the supplements. I am not aware of who is responsibe for the set-up,” the coach added.
Six of the eight Indian athletes who tested positive for banned substance methandienone are 400m runners. Three of them were part of the women’s 4x400m relay team that won gold in the CWG and Asian Games last year. (IANS)