Tottenham Women forward Chioma Ubogagu has received a nine-month ban from football after an anti-doping violation.
The FA and an independent tribunal came to the decision in April, meaning the ex-England international, who scored on her international debut in 2018, will be banned from playing until October after a provisional suspension was imposed in January.
The governing body accepted Ubogagu, 29, did not take the banned substance, canrenone, in order to deliberately gain an illegal advantage. It is banned by World Anti-Doping Agency because it is sometimes used as a masking agent.
Reacting to this, she said: ‘I am so sorry to my teammates and staff that I can’t be out on the pitch. The club has been fully supportive throughout this entire process, and I am so appreciative of all their help.
My faith, family, and close friends have also helped me immensely in this difficult time. I am eager to be back soon now that this has been resolved.
‘I want to make clear that the medication had no performance-enhancing effects for me, but I still made the mistake of not being as diligent as possible, and as a result, I am unable to play the game I love until I serve my suspension.
‘While my dermatologist is aware of my profession, it is also my responsibility to know more about the medications I am prescribed. I plan to share my story and educate others on the severity of what can happen, and I hope I can help other athletes avoid situations like mine in the future.’
