Russian coach suspended for racist insult against Cuban volleyball player

Moscow, May 31 (PL) - The Russian Volleyball Federation reports that it has suspended for two years the coach of the Lokomotiv team from Kaliningrad, Andrei Voronkov, for an offensive racist expression towards the Cuban player of the Uralochka-NTMK of Ekaterinburg, Ailama Cesé Montalvo.

"The suspension only applies to Russian Volleyball Federation events," but we cannot ban him from coaching, said the secretary general of that body, Alexander Yariomenko, who clarified that Voronkov cannot take athletes to the field.

He assured that the decision was unanimous and explained that the sanctioned coach can appeal the decision to the arbitration of the Federation within 10 days.

On May 12, during a time-out in the decisive match of the final series of the Russian championship against Uralochka, Voronkov, referring to a volleyball player of his team, said: "Why are you blocking that monkey again?"

The moment was caught on camera and the video spread through social networks very quickly, accompanied by strong comments rejecting the racist remark.

Uralochka considered that the words were directed towards the Cuban player of their team, Ailama Cesé Montalvo, and demanded that the Lokomotiv technical director apologize.

According to the Russian Volleyball Federation, its disciplinary commission requested that Voronkov be disqualified for up to two years.  It also reported that the coach refused to apologize to the Cuban and admit his guilt. 

Montalvo, who arrived in Russia in 2019 and whose contract expires in the summer, assured after the match that the insult had not affected her at all, although she criticized Voronkov's lack of professional ethics.

"I know who I am, I like my color and I am proud to wear it on my skin. I am not ashamed of it. I like people for what they have in their hearts and for what they are able to convey in everything they do, not for their skin color, nationality or whatever," she wrote to her online followers.