Latvian volleyball players and federation reconcile after public dispute over beach volleyball funding

On Monday, the Latvian Olympic Committee (LOK) hosted a meeting between the parties involved in a recent dispute over funding and development of beach volleyball. Details of the discussion were later shared on the LTV1 program "Sporta studija".

World champion beach volleyball player Anastasija Samoilova said it was the first time a meeting of this scale had taken place, bringing together the Olympic Committee, the Latvian Volleyball Federation and the athletes' commission. She noted it was encouraging that all sides wanted to jointly address the development of the sport, and both sides agreed that communication needs to improve and happen more frequently.

LOK president Raimonds Lazdiņš expressed satisfaction that the parties had agreed on a roadmap under which the federation will work together with beach volleyball on future development issues, particularly for youth, while also emphasizing that classic volleyball cannot be separated from this effort.

Both sides admit communication mistakes

Volleyball Federation president Arnis Tunte said neither side had expected the dispute to become as public and large-scale as it did. He explained that the federation had responded through legal channels, which athletes do not always understand given their focus on sport, but stressed that no threats had been made by the federation. Tunte also criticized the timing of a five-page letter the federation had sent, which coincided with competitions the athletes were taking part in.

Lazdiņš added that such communication shortcomings should be taken into account in the future when deciding the timing of any actions.

Funding and next steps

Lazdiņš noted that overall funding for Latvian sport has not increased since 2016 and has in fact decreased, citing the loss of 1.6 million euros in support previously provided by the state forest company, as well as cuts to the wage fund. He said all parties agree on the need to push for increased funding for sport overall and greater support for youth sport specifically.

Samoilova said the next meeting is planned for the end of September, when the parties will discuss concrete points for cooperation. Tunte added that the funding question has for now taken a back seat to agreeing on a shared strategy for developing both youth and elite-level sport.