“I slept at the airport, I was treated like a third-class citizen (because of my nationality), I spent a few thousand euros,” said the athlete
LOT Polish Airlines has refused to allow a Russian tennis player to board a flight, the company has confirmed, a decision that prompted an angry reaction from the athlete on social media.
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In particular, Vitalia Dyachenko reported the incident on the LOT flight to Cairo, with the German airline Lufthansa also refusing to issue her a ticket.
“Slept at the airport, treated like a third-class citizen (because of my nationality), spent a few thousand euros,” wrote Dyachenko, who said she was trying to travel to a tournament in Corsica via Warsaw and Nice.
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In an emailed statement, LOT confirmed it did not allow the 32-year-old to board, citing restrictions introduced by Poland’s interior ministry during the COVID-19 pandemic and remaining in place in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The provisions of the regulation introduce restrictions at certain border crossing points, including airport crossings, in relation to citizens of the Russian Federation traveling outside Schengen,” LOT said.
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The European Union banned all flights from Russia and agreed to limit visa-free travel in the Schengen zone. In September, Finland joined the Baltic states and Poland in closing its borders to Russian tourists.
Dyachenko, who is ranked 250th in the world, said she then tried to buy a ticket from Lufthansa, with the airline explaining that she could only enter the Schengen zone through Spain, which had issued her visa.
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Unlike many other sports, tennis did not introduce a blanket ban on players from Russia and its ally Belarus after the invasion of Ukraine.
Wimbledon had banned athletes from the two countries last year after the invasion, but made it clear in March that it would now accept them as neutral athletes.
Russians and Belarusians participated in tournaments and grand slams as neutral athletes.
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Source :Skai
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