They withdrew assistance to Jelena Ostapenko for participating in tournaments with Russians

The Latvian Olympic Committee (LOK) announced on Friday that it has suspended Jelena Ostapenko’s state-funded monthly allowancenumber 25 in the world, and other athletes of the same nationality because they participated in competitions where competitors from Russia and Belarus were present.

LOK spokesperson Dace Gulbe told EFE that the Latvian Ministry of Education and Science issued an order suspending payments to Ostapenko and cyclists Toms Skujiņš and Krists Neilands, as well as two other tennis players, Daniela Vismane and Darja Semeņistajawithin the framework of a support program for elite athletes.

Gulbe explained that the decision on Ostapenko, perhaps the most prominent Latvian on the women’s tennis circuit, was not taken by the LOK, but by the ministry.

He explained that LOK in this case acts as a kind of payroll department, suspension of payment to anyone who is no longer “employed”.

The decision to end the payments implements an agreement between LOK and the Ministry to ensure that funds from the state budget are not allocated to athletes if they participate in sports competitions in which they match to Russians or Belarusians, “regardless of their status and policies. and decisions of international sports federations”.

According to Gulbe, Ostapenko, who competes in professional tennis tournaments, you will lose around 1,700 euros per monthwhile cyclists will lose several hundred euros.

Skujiņš’s statements were published in local Latvian media, which for his part say that neither his patriotism nor his support for Ukraine can be doubted.

Russians and Belarusians were banned from most competitions in the wake of the invasion of Ukrainebut professional tennis circuits are an exception, as they are not organized by international federations.

In the recent tournament in Dubai, Ostapenko played and lost in the round of 16 against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka.