Kamilla Bartone, a young tennis player who wanted German citizenship, still represents Latvia

Bartone made a record of his desire to represent Germany soon on social media in February. “Because they provide support that the Latvian Federation has never given. And in general I love Germany as a country. I care about them, ”Bartone promised to accept German citizenship very soon.

The then Secretary General of the Latvian Tennis Union, Kārlis Lejnieks, explained that Bartone had been invited to the Latvian national team for two years, but always refused, thus not receiving financial support. The Latvian tennis management and Bartone’s team (at the head of the athlete’s father) did not reach the common denominator. True, no new developments took place either. Every day, the young tennis player trains in Dortmund, is part of the Porsche tennis tennis talent team, which in turn is supported by the German Tennis Federation.

At the beginning of June, Bartone celebrated her 18th birthday, reaching the age of majority, but even after this event, there have been no public revolutions in the tennis player’s desire to represent another country. True, at least on social networks her “Instagram” account is already decorated with the German flag.

LTS Secretary General Konstantin Zasjadko, who has been in this position since July, said in a conversation with Jauns.lv that he has not been in contact with Bartoni or her representatives: “No, I have not had any conversations with the player or her parents. We have also not received any official document. She continues to play under the Latvian flag, is still a Latvian citizen and, as far as I know, her citizenship has not changed. Most likely, Bartone has her own plans, and if she decides to do something, we’ll find out. Of course, we would like her to continue to represent Latvia, but tennis is an individual sport and everyone chooses their own path. ”

Bartone is currently participating in the French Open Championship in Paris. Last year’s quarterfinalist withdrew from the singles tournament in the second round this time, although he was placed with the sixth number, but is in the 921st place in the WTA ranking table. Bartone is still participating in the doubles tournament, where he has already reached the quarterfinals together with the Russian Oksan Selehmetov.
To apply for the competition, Bartone does not need direct contact with LTS representatives – each player has his own approved account, from which registration for tournaments takes place.

18-year-old Bartone is currently participating in tournaments as a representative of Latvia, however, it is very likely that the athlete will soon accept the German offer. This will not be an extraordinary event in today’s globalization of sport. LTS President Juris Savickis, learning about Bartone’s plans in the winter, said that the athlete’s desire to represent another country should not be condemned, because it is simply an effort to provide better conditions for oneself.