My life is under threat, says Yuri

Sacked coach Yuri Ogrodnik said that he wants to go back to Ukraine as he is facing a lot of problems in India.

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: Sacked coach Yuri Ogrodnik is planning to flee the country as early as possible, media reported on Wednesday. The Ukrainian said he wants to go back home as he is facing a lot of problems in India. Talking to a news channel, the Ukrainian defended himself, saying he has no role in the current doping fiasco and blamed the Indian food supplements for the same. He said that he didn’t give the athletes any drugs but only food supplements. He said that it was possible the Indian food supplements were contaminated. "I told the athletes to buy only the food supplements and not steroids. I am not suited for that (to tell athletes to do a wrong thing). I am a professional coach,” said Yuri, who has been in charge of the women`s 400m, 400m Hurdles and 4x400m relay since 1999. Earlier, a former athlete claimed on a news channel that doping is rampant in sporting fraternity and said that the federation is aware of doping among athletes. Foreign coaches bring supplements from outside the country, the former athlete, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the channel. Coaches and athletes have easy access to drugs, he added. Meanwhile, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said criminal cases will be filed against the chemists selling steroids in Patiala. Earlier, it was reported in the media about chemists selling steroids openly in Patiala.