Carlow footballer Ray Walker has revealed this evening that has been given a four-year suspension for an anti-doping violation.
There were reports in the GAA media this week about a failed drugs test by an intercounty player. Walker confirmed tonight that he's the player referred to in these reports, and that the ban he is given will be four years in length.
Walker, who is 35 and had rejoined the Carlow panel in November after a number of years away from intercounty football, tested positive for a banned substance during a drugs test in Febuary.
Walker says he has no knowledge of wilfully taking any banned drugs, though he said he was taking anti-inflammatory medicine for stomach ailments at the time of the test.. He said he will not appeal the ruling and admitted the ban effectively ends his playing career. In the statement he says that by accepting the ban, he is not admitting wrongdoing, but rather he wants 'the episode to be done with'.
Statement from Carlow footballer Ray Walker, the player who earlier this year failed a drugs test. pic.twitter.com/9u8dGH1vCh
— Eoghan Cormican (@cormicaneoghan) April 28, 2020
He also adds in the statement that he received no anti-doping education in his time back with Carlow.
Read the statement here:
My name is Ray Walker. I am 35 years-old and returned to the Carlow senior football panel last November following a long absence. I am the player who is at the centre of recent reports about an anti-doping violation.
In light of the 4-year ban which I now have to serve, which ends my inter-county career, and most likely my club involvement given my age, I want to put the following on the record.
I did not intentionally take any banned substance. Anything that was found in my system was there completely unintentionally. I cannot explain for sure how the substance came to be in my system but I was taking anti-inflammatories for a lower stomach issue around the time of the test.
I am accepting the 4-year ban because I want this episode over and done with and, at 35, even a lesser ban would still mean I was unlikely to ever return to playing. It is not an admission of intentional wrong doing on my part in any way.
Finally, from the time that I re-joined the Carlow panel in November to the time the test took place in February, I did not receive any anti-doping training or education.
I will be making no further comment on this matter and would appreciate that the media would respect my privacy in this regard.
ENDS
Walker had been part of the Carlow's squad for the 2020 Division 4 campaign. The O'Hanrahans GFC man won intermediate player of the year, according to his club, before the end of 2019.
Everyone at O’Hanrahans GFC would like to congratulate Ray Walker on his intermediate player of the year award. Unfortunately we don’t have a recent picture of the notoriously camera shy player so we’ve came up with a festive alternative. Well done Ray 🏆👏🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/F2oXi0kFFr
— O’Hanrahans GFC (@Ohanrahans) December 24, 2019
