Champion Russian volleyball coach faces ban for racist slur

One of Russia’s leading volleyball coaches faces a ban of up to two years for using a racist slur to describe an opposition player during the national championship series. Coach Andrei Voronkov used the slur while giving instructions to one of his players during a timeout in the fifth and final game of the women’s national championship series. The comments were audible on the Russian TV broadcast. Voronkov was widely understood in Russia as referring to Cuban opposition player Ailama Cese Montalvo, who is Black. The Russian Volleyball Federation disciplinary commission recommended a ban of up to two years.