Buls slams Latvian Volleyball Federation over treatment of Samoilova

A public backlash has emerged after reports that beach volleyball world champion Anastasija Samoilova complained about a letter from the Latvian Volleyball Federation (LVF) that she said contained threatening language.

Edgars Buls, manager of the world champion, sharply criticized the federation's leadership, calling the situation deplorable. He argued that instead of engaging in dialogue with an athlete whose achievements bring prestige to the federation itself, LVF chose to send threatening letters. Buls called on the Ministry of Education and Science, as well as the leadership of the Latvian Olympic Committee, to seriously review the federation's work, describing the situation as a complete failure of responsibility by its officials.

Former Olympian adds criticism

Former Latvian pole vault Olympian Pauls Pujats also addressed criticism to the federation, directing his remarks at its secretary general. He noted that sending an athlete a request for explanation accompanied by warnings of contractual consequences, at a time when she needs to prepare for a tournament, cannot be considered a fair evaluation but rather a pressure tactic.

Pujats stressed that if the federation genuinely cared about transparency, it would have opted for open dialogue and a clear financial report rather than a legal letter apparently intended to intimidate. He reminded the federation that athletes are owed transparency about how their funds are spent, and said he expects a substantive response rather than procedural intimidation. Otherwise, Pujats warned, the federation's actions would be judged in a broader light.