Ubogagu gets nine-month doping ban
Tottenham Hotspur forward Chioma Ubogagu has been handed a nine-month suspension from the sport for an anti-doping violation, the Women’s Super League club said on Thursday.
Before joining Spurs in 2021, Ubogagu was prescribed acne medication by a personal doctor containing the banned substance spironolactone, which is listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Prohibited List as a diuretic or masking agent, the club said in a statement.
“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 club said.
“The FA accepts that Chioma did not take the medication, spironolactone, with a view to intentionally securing an illegal advantage.”
The 29-year-old has been provisionally suspended since January, and last played for the club in a 1-1 league draw with West Ham United on January 17.
Her suspension, which was handed out by the FA and an independent tribunal on April 22, will run until October.
“I want to make clear that the medication had no performance-enhancing effects for me,” Ubogagu said in a statement.
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“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.”
Spurs finished fifth in the WSL’s 2021-22 season, which concluded earlier this month.