A young tennis player who had competed for years in tournaments organized by the Kosovo Tennis Federation has been banned from participating in all competitions and activities organized by the federation after taking part in the “My Kosovo and Metohija” art competition and publishing her drawing, the competition organizers announced on social media.

According to their account, the girl regularly competed in tennis tournaments and was named Female Tennis Player of the Year in 2019.

However, after taking part in the “My Kosovo and Metohija” art competition and publishing her drawing, her application for the “Đakovica Junior 16” tournament, which was scheduled to take place on September 12 in Đakovica, was rejected.

According to the competition organizers, the federation’s official notice stated that, after reviewing content published on the young tennis player’s social media accounts, a decision had been made to restrict or ban her participation in all tournaments and activities organized by the Kosovo Tennis Federation.

Drawing of Kosovo and Metohija as the Reason for the Ban

The art competition organizers claim that the drawing published by the girl was precisely what prompted the decision.

The drawing features historical and national motifs associated with Kosovo and Metohija, including Serbian medieval rulers, a soldier, a monastery, and a double-headed eagle.

The words “Can I see Kosovo from here, Lazar?” are written at the top of the drawing.

The competition organizers strongly condemned the federation’s decision, stating that no child should be punished for their artistic expression or nationality.

“As the organizers of the ‘My Kosovo and Metohija’ art competition, we strongly condemn this decision. We believe that no child or young person should be subjected to discrimination or deprived of the right to participate in sports because of their artistic expression,” the statement said.

“Sport Should Bring People Together, Not Punish Children”

The organizers particularly emphasized that sporting competitions should not become a means of punishing young people for their views, creativity, or national identity.

“Sport should bring people together, not serve as a means of punishing children for their creativity and nationality,” they stated.

The case prompted a reaction from the competition organizers, who consider the decision unacceptable and believe that it deprives the young athlete of the opportunity to continue competing in the sport she has been involved in for years.

It is not yet known whether the decision is time-limited, whether there is an opportunity to appeal, or whether the Kosovo Tennis Federation has issued any further statement regarding the case.

The allegations concerning the reasons for the ban are based on the competition organizers’ statement, while independent confirmation and the federation’s full explanation of the decision are not available in the material provided.

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