Maria Sharapova fans have one more reason to be happy as their favourite tennis star will be allowed to resume her role as a United Nations (U.N.) goodwill ambassador when her drug suspension ends in April, the UN body said on Thursday.
Maria Sharapova who is five-times grand slam champion became an ambassador for the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in 2007 but was dropped in March after admitting she had used the banned substance meldonium. Sharapova, 29 was originally banned from the sport for two years however on a later hearing her suspension was cut to 15 months. The United States based Russian will return to action in time to contest three of the four grand slams next year missing the Australian Open.
The UN Development Programme, which works to eradicate poverty and inequality, had discontinued its nine-year relationship with Sharapova in March after she admitted taking the prohibited substance meldonium at this year’s Australian Open. After this incident, Sharapova was banned for two years by an International Tennis Federation tribunal, but an appeal to the court of arbitration for sport resulted in a reduced suspension of 15 months, thus paving the way for Sharapova to return to competitive action before the French Open in May.
UN said in a statement “The UNDP is glad to learn that Maria Sharapova can return to the sport she loves sooner than expected and we will lift the suspension of her role as our goodwill ambassador once the reduced ban expires in April 2017,”
“We understand that Ms Sharapova will be focused on resuming her tennis career and we look forward to discussing her role and engagement with UNDP at an appropriate date.”
Sharapova marked her initial appointment as a goodwill ambassador by donating $100,000 (£80,471) to help young survivors in rural communities affected by the disaster and has established a charitable foundation to help recovery efforts. Last month people even largely condemned Sharapova participating in a charity event in Nevada benefiting the Elton John Aids Foundation. In addition to this Sharapova’s racket sponsor was widely condemned for celebrating news of her reduced ban.
But now since UNDP has released a statement saying that Sharapova will be reinstated as a goodwill ambassador is a big relief to the tennis star and this would invoke a lot of confidence in her and her fans.
