Massive doping scandal in Russia! UFA tackles positive tests in 37 players, the club’s explanation is hard to believe

The Russians currently have a huge doping scandal to deal with. In the Tolpar UFA team, 37 players have been found to have used a banned drug called meldonium. According to the club’s management, it was supposed to be sabotage by a foreign player.

The doping scandal in Russia

Tolpar UFA is a team that is a farm team of Salavat Yulaev UFA, a senior team playing in the KHL. To clarify, Tolpar operates in the Eastern Conference of the MHL (literally translated as Youth Hockey League).

In other words, the MHL is a continental junior hockey league founded in 2009 and although it, like the KHL, is open to clubs from all over Europe, it is predominantly played by Russian teams. The winner of this competition then plays for the Charlam Cup.

Now, however, not only this competition but the whole of Russia is dealing with a really big doping scandal. As many as 37 players of the aforementioned team have tested positive for meldonium.

This is a drug that is banned because of its effects. It gives athletes a big advantage by improving recovery, endurance and overall performance. It has a significant effect on the cardiovascular system.

According to Gazeta.ru, an investigation by the Russian Anti-Doping Bureau is already underway. With the hockey players themselves saying that the meldonium was added to them as vitamins by their conditioning coach Igor Zagretdinov.

The UFA has dealt with a similar issue before, can the club’s statement be trusted?

However, the members of the management team disagree. And the players are said to take all supplements only after communicating with the club doctor. The latter, on the other hand, complained to the club’s general director, according to the aforementioned Russian daily.

And what exactly? The various pills and supplements were supposed to be given to the team by the coach himself. But without being checked by the doctor. The statement of the junior team then says that the meldonium got into the players’ bodies as a result of sabotage.

It is alleged that a player who did not make the team was involved. So the club has offered many stories in a short time. And with a bit of exaggeration this case could appear in the once famous show “Believe it or not”.

However, Tolpar UFA has already solved this problem once, as you can see in the attached post. In April last year, seven hockey players were linked to the use of this drug, and even then the tests were positive.

Source: MHL, Gazeta.ru