Līvāni Bans Athletes From Competitions After Belarusian Tournament Participation
Līvāni municipality has announced that players representing the town will no longer participate in official competitions. This decision follows revelations that some athletes competed in Belarusian tournaments, violating Latvian sports regulations and diplomatic advice.
Veteran footballers from Līvāni took part in two Belarusian tournaments in the past six months. The Ministry of Education and Science deemed their actions unethical, though not illegal. The Latvian Football Federation strictly prohibits professional athletes from competing in Russia and Belarus, due to the country's political situation.
The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against visiting these nations. The Līvāni municipality was unaware of the players' plans and only discovered their participation post-factum. The municipality discussed the incident with the State Security Service.
The players used sports kit provided by the municipality, bearing Līvāni's coat of arms. In a controversial move, they posed with flags of Latvia, Belarus, and Russia after the games.
Following the incident, the Līvāni-Glubokoye twinning agreement, terminated after Russia's war against Ukraine, remains inactive. The municipality has taken steps to ensure such incidents do not recur, emphasizing adherence to Latvian sports regulations and diplomatic advice.
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