Chioma Ubogagu continued to take banned substance, canrenone, to treat a skin condition when she arrived at the Women's Super League club, without knowing it was prohibited; the FA accepted the 29-year-old did not take the medication with a view to intentionally secure an unfair advantage
Thursday 19 May 2022 13:44, UK
Tottenham Women forward Chioma Ubogagu has been charged with an anti-doping violation and been handed a nine-month suspension.
The 29-year-old, who has three England caps, admitted the violations relating to the banned substance canrenone, which was detected in a urine sample last October.
The independent regulatory commission imposing the suspension - running to October this year - accepted Ubogagu had committed the violations unintentionally.
Tottenham said the banned substance was in medication Ubogagu had been prescribed in the United States to treat acne and had not known it was prohibited.
A statement from the FA on Thursday said: "An independent regulatory commission has suspended Tottenham Hotspur Women's Chioma Ubogagu for nine months following two Anti-doping Rule Violations (ADRVs).
"The forward was charged with two ADRVs under the FA's anti-doping regulations for the presence and use of canrenone, which is a banned substance, and had been detected within a urine sample collected during a squad test on Thursday, October 7 2021 by UK Anti-Doping.
"Chioma Ubogagu admitted the two ADRVs, which the commission accepted were committed unintentionally, and found that (she) had established that she committed them without significant fault or negligence on her part during a subsequent hearing.
"The commission imposed a nine-month period of ineligibility."
Tottenham, who signed former Arsenal and Real Madrid player Ubogagu last summer, said in a statement on their official website: "Chioma was prescribed two forms of medication in the United States from a personal doctor to treat acne before signing for the club.
"The 29-year-old continued to take the medication to treat her skin condition after she arrived without the knowledge that the medication was prohibited.
"In November 2021, Chioma requested a repeat prescription from the club doctor who alerted the relevant bodies, the FA and UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), about the use of a banned substance.
"The FA accepts that Chioma did not take the medication, spironolactone, with a view to intentionally securing an illegal advantage.
"Both the club and Chioma fully cooperated with the FA and UKAD during the disciplinary process and Chioma has been unavailable for selection since the provisional suspension was imposed in January.
"Chioma takes full responsibility for the charge and deeply regrets her actions admitting a lack of knowledge and awareness on her part."
Ubogagu said: "I am so sorry to my team-mates 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 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."
In a first-person article written for the Players' Tribune, Ubogagu sought to clarify the events which led to her suspension with a view to preventing fellow athletes from going down the same path unintentionally.
"I've been banned for nine months for a doping violation," she said. "I can't play, train or even go to watch a game until next season. I'm not gonna lie to you, that sucks. It really does.
"I've experienced every possible emotion in these last months - some I didn't even know existed. It's been chaotic, lonely, and above all really tough. But I wanna talk about it.
"If you've read the FA statement, maybe you've already made up your own mind about my situation. I'm a pretty open-minded person, but I know I probably would have too. It's just that word doping. It's so definitive, right? It's synonymous with steroids, cheating, trying to get an athletic advantage.
"But that's not me. I'm not here to blame anyone for doing their job. I take full responsibility for what happened. The law is black and white, but the reality is far more complex."
