Patiala, July 7
While the Sports Ministry was quick to act against Ukrainian athletics coach, Yuri Ogrodnik after Indian women athletes training under his command were tested positive for doping, an Indian coach continues his role at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), despite being at the centre of controversies. As per information available with The Tribune, hammer throw coach Shubhdeep Singh was on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) radar after being caught when he was a participating athlete in the late 1990s.

The International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) did monitor five Indian athletes who had tested positive in 1994. They were Jagbir Singh, Shubhdeep, Rajinder Singh, Gurbax Singh Randhawa and Harminder Singh. Though these key findings are available with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), Shubhdeep continues to be attached with the hammer throw campers training at NIS Patiala since 2006.

“I am currently training the Indian hammer throw team at NIS and there is nothing wrong in it,” he told The Tribune over phone. Added to that, a former national champion has made some serious allegations against Shubhdeep, which he has denied. Former national champion Sukanya Mishra had alleged during the course of her anti-doping disciplinary panel hearing in February 2011 that she was caught in the dope net in 2009 for steroids after she took supplements supplied by Shubhdeep, her coach. Sukanya is expected to make a comeback to the national circuit later this year after she completes a two-year exile, following her steroid intake.

“There is never an action against a coach and only players face the music," Sukanya told The Tribune. “It is strange that the coach continues to be a part of the national camp, despite his poor credentials, allegations levied against him and one of his campers landing in the dope net.

“There was no concrete action against him despite my accusations when I was tested positive for a steroid, for which I lost two vital sporting years,” Sukanya, who finished sixth in the 2009 Asian Championship in Guangzhou, said.

“If Yuri Ogrodnik could be sacked for the conduct of his athletes, why not others who still continue at plum posts?” she asked. Expressing ignorance on the issue, Shubhdeep said that though he was found with a stimulant almost over a decade back when he was a player, he was never banned by the WADA authorities since this had happened due to excessive intake of coffee. “You can check my record and I am ready to face anyone as all these allegations are totally false. The positive findings by WADA were for some substance that was later legalized,” he stated.

A senior Indian Olympic Association member said that it would have been appropriate to initiate an inquiry following allegations being levelled by a former national champion before a disciplinary panel. “The responsibility of a coach has to be fixed regularly to bail out the sport,” he said.

Speaking on the issue, AFI Director M.L. Dogra said that though the coach was under WADA scrutiny, there was no complaint against him. “As far as allegations pertaining to supplements supplied by him landing some athletes in dope net, I feel the athletes should be responsible enough to take only authorised medicine and supplements rather than blaming the trainers.”

Incidentally, Madhu Kumar another hammer thrower, was also suspended for two years for doping rule violations from December 2009. Madhu had a successful season before being caught; winning two National titles, the Open at Bhopal and the Chennai inter-State. He did not make it to Guangzhou and was practicing at NIS in the same camp.

You can check my record and I am ready to face anyone as all these allegations are totally false. The positive findings by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) were for some substance that was later legalised.
— Shubhdeep Singh, hammer throw coach