Breaking: UN Suspends Maria Sharapova’s Ambassador Role

The United Nations have suspended Maria Sharapova as a Goodwill Ambassador, an aftermath of her failed drugs test.

Sharapova, 28, five-time Grand Slam champion, tested positive for meldonium in January and has been provisionally suspended from 12 March.

The Russian female Tennis champ has been suspended from “any planned activities while the investigation continues,” said the United Nations Development Programme.

She has held the role since 2007 and a UNDP spokesperson added it “remains grateful for her support of our work”.

According to the UNDP website, the organisation “works in some 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion”.

The former world number one said she has been taking meldonium for health reasons for the past 10 years.

The drug was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) banned list on 1 January and Sharapova provided a positive test at the Australian Open later in the month.

Sportswear company Nike, Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer and German carmaker Porsche had already halted their relationships with Sharapova.

Many sports men and women have also taken similar condemnatory stances, some calling for full restrictive measures on her.

One such critic is Rafael Nadal who has asked world tennis body, International Tennis Federation [ITF], to wield the big stick against Sharapova to serve as a deterrent to other.

He says that Maria Sharapova “must pay” if and when found completely culpable.

In the meantime, Rafael Nadal, the 14-time Grand Slam champion is set to sue an ex-French government minister over doping claims

Nadal says he plans to sue the minister who said his seven-month absence in 2012 was “probably due to a positive doping test”.

Earlier, he denied ever using a banned substance and says he is “completely clean” and that he has “never had the temptation to do anything wrong.” 

[sportsmo.com]

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