Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko has reportedly been punished by the government of her home country solely for competing in tournaments that allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian players. The news seems so unbelievable that I hope it is fake information, but more and more sources are sharing the story and the former Roland Garros champion is said not to be the only Latvian athlete affected.
The Latvian Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Education and Science have decided to stop funding their country’s athletes who have participated at competitions that allow the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus.