Dmitry Svishchev, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, praised Ukrainian tennis player Elizaveta Kotlyar, who shook hands with Russian Vlada Mincheva after the junior match at the Australian Open. His words are quoted “Sports Express”.
“The mistake is that adults, federations and this tennis player’s father are showing, with their unsportsmanlike behavior, how not to treat their own children. With his actions, he set an example for adult athletes, officials, leaders of other sports and officials on how to behave on sports fields. The involvement of oppression and political intrigue is horrific. “Ukrainian athletes have already stated that the officials were putting pressure on them,” Svishchev said.
On January 20, Mincheva defeated Kotlyar in the first round match with scores of 6:2 and 6:4. After the second set, the girls shook hands at the net. After this, the Ukrainian athlete faced public pressure for his action.
16-year-old Mincheva is ranked 21st in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior rankings. He has six victories in tournaments under the auspices of the organization. This is his first appearance at the Australian Open as a junior.
Formerly at Ukrainian Tennis Federation Reacted For Kotlyar and the Russian woman Mincheva to shake hands.