Why doesn’t Kalinina play for Ukraine? FTU Vice President answered the question

Vice-President and Executive Director of the Tennis Federation of Ukraine Evgeny Zukin told why the first racket of Ukraine Angelina Kalinina does not play for the national team in team competitions:

– If we talk about the strongest line-up, then the most common question is: why don’t we see Angelina Kalinina in the team? Is there any reason?

You need to ask her questions. She just doesn’t want to play for the national team. I must honestly say that Kalinina played for the U12 national team for the last time. Already U14, U16, U18 she did not play. The Youth Olympics is yes, plus or minus, playing for the national team, where she even won bronze. But I remember, I just joined the federation, we had a great U18 team that could claim the highest results – Fridman and Kalinina, and they didn’t want to play.

When it comes to playing for the U12 national team, it’s a war of parents, everyone calls, offers bribes “to take mine”, you don’t know how to stop them. U14 – already calmer, U16 – much calmer, U18 – it is no longer possible to assemble the strongest team. Because no one wants it. Here is such an evolution. And then an adult team, where “you have to pay normally for us to play.” This is the reality and there is no other.

In terms of funding, there is no other funding, of course. I was at several meetings, 3 billion for sports, but they will not reach tennis, because it is definitely not a priority. And in general, it doesn’t fit in my head, how can we, collecting money for socks, heaters and something else, finance sports through the state? Therefore, we must manage our resources. Therefore, all questions about the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup … This is the money of the federation, this is not the money of the players. The federation then negotiates, either agrees or not. Everything else is innuendo. The money that the ITF gives is in no way tied to paying for the participation of tennis players, in any way. We used to try to figure out some formula just for ourselves, which fell apart as soon as it ceased to suit one of the parties.