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Indirect influence Russian national women's volleyball team cancels U.S. trip
Posted: Tuesday March 30, 1999 07:32 PM
RENO, Nevada (AP) -- The Russian national women's volleyball team canceled an exhibition tour of the United States, citing the bombings in Kosovo and violence at the U.S. Embassy in Russia. "We were just notified," Craig Barker, an official for the Reno-based athletic equipment manufacturer sponsoring the tour, said Monday. "We have a fax from the Russian National Volleyball Federation that informed us that because of the events in Kosovo and the violence at the U.S. Embassy in Russia, they would not be able to send their team over here," he told The Associated Press. The tour matching teams competing for spots in the next Olympic Games was to begin in Reno on April 5 at the University of Nevada's Lawlor Events Center, with additional games planned in Utah, Idaho and Oregon. Valentin Joukov, president of the Volleyball Federation of Russia, notified USA National Team Bob Gambardella of the decision earlier Monday, according to a statement obtained by the AP. "Please do believe that only the unforeseen circumstances and the present situation make it impossible for us to send our ladies' team to your country," Joukov said in a fax to U.S. Olympic officials in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "We do understand that our decision on this matter appeared to be utterly unexpected to your organizers and the promoters," Joukov wrote. Lorene Graves of USA Volleyball in Colorado Springs, told KOH Radio in Reno that the cancellation appeared to have been ordered by the Kremlin. She said the Russians indicated "when they are so opposed to NATO and United States bombing of Yugoslavia, there wouldn't be any cultural or sports exchanges between the two nations allowed." Neither Gambardella nor Graves was immediately available for comment Monday night. Joukov said he was hopeful the U.S. team would still make a scheduled trip to Moscow June 12-20. But Gambardella said that trip also was being put on hold. "We are deeply saddened by the current events in the Balkans," Gambardella said in a faxed response to Joukov on Monday. "Regarding out trip to Russia in June, due to the current crisis that exists we are collaborating with the United States Olympic Committee on a daily basis to investigate the possibility of visiting Russia, therefore at this time the decision to come to Russia is on hold." The exhibition matches were intended as training in preparation for the World Cup in Japan in November -- one of the qualifying sites for the next Olympics.
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