Serbian volleyball player who racially abused Thais banned for 2 matches
The world volleyball association has slapped a Serbian player with a two-match ban for making a racist gesture towards Thailand players in a match earlier this month.
The FIVB disciplinary panel found that Sanja Djurdjevic violated regulations by stretching her eyes apart to taunt her Thai opponents during their Volleyball Nations League 2021 match on June 1. The gesture was caught on camera during the televised match and sparked outrage in Thailand and elsewhere.
In punishment, Djurdjevic will be suspended for Serbia’s matches on June 8 and 12 against Belgium and Canada respectively. In addition, the Volleyball Federation of Serbia has been fined 20,000 Swiss francs or about 695,000 baht.
The FIVB said it will donate the fine to a cause dedicated to tackling discriminatory behaviour and/or to fund educational programmes on cultural sensitivity for the global Volleyball Family.
The FIVB said no appeal against the penalty would be permitted.
