“Buffet”: Čakša’s “black list” of Latvian athletes is a superficial and thoughtless decision

In this episode of “Buffet”, the guest of “tv3.lv” sports editor Jānis Janševics and MVP editor-in-chief Ingmāras Jurisonas was the head coach of TTT, Mārtiņš Gulbis, who once also held the reins of the Latvian women’s national team in his hands.

Latvian athletes, whose funding is suspended in connection with participation in the same competition with Russian and Belarusian athletes, will not feel a big hole in their wallets. However, their names will be heard all over the world in connection with supporting aggressors of one kind or another.

Such a decision is sloppy and ill-considered and does nothing to help Ukraine, its people and athletes. In addition, for example, the general secretary of the Ukrainian Cycling Federation, Tetjana Dziadeviča, has already asked Latvia to look for other ways to help Ukraine in an open letter.

Against this background, the request of minister Anda Čakša to support the Latvian Hockey Federation in connection with the hosting of the world championship is even more strange. A very understandable and supportable goal. However, Čakša asks to support the LHF – an organization that has just included Mika Indraši in the list of candidates for the Latvian national team, who had already signed a contract with the Moscow “Spartak” team after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Watch and listen to the full episode of “Buffet” here.