Voronkov banned for up to two years over racist scandal

MOSCOW, May 19.The disciplinary commission of the All-Russian Volleyball Federation (VVF) recommended a disqualification for up to two years against the head coach of the Lokomotiv women's volleyball club Andrei Voronkov for racist insults to the Cuban striker of the Yekaterinburg Uralochka-NTMK Ailama Sese Montalvo. Last week, Uralochka-NTMK “lost to Lokomotiv Kaliningrad in the decisive match of the final playoff series (2-3). At the end of the third installment, Voronkov took a time out and turned to one of his volleyball players. “Why are you catching that monkey again?” the coach asked. The phrase went live. The volleyball player herself later stated that the insults from Voronkov did not hurt her, but left the club two days later. «Recognize Andrey Voronkov guilty of committing a disciplinary violation, expressed in insulting terms in relation to a member of the opponent's team. The disciplinary commission considered it appropriate to apply a sanction to Voronkov in the form of a sports disqualification for a period of up to two years. Due to the wide public outcry, the issue of the specific period and conditions of disqualification should be submitted to the next meeting of the WEF executive committee,» the message on the official website of the WEF reads. Members of the disciplinary commission of the WEF made this decision unanimously. The meeting of the executive committee of the VFV, at which the question of the specific period and conditions for disqualification of Voronkov, will be held on May 31.