"I wanted to calm her down" Coach slaps 8-year-old player after defeat
A video from the European Taekwondo Championships for girls in Tirana, Albania, is currently going viral. The recording shows a coach and father slapping his 8-year-old student after a defeat.
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- On Sunday, the European Taekwondo Championships for girls up to the age of eight took place in Tirana, Albania.
- An 8-year-old Albanian girl was in the final. She lost the fight.
- Dejected, she ran to her father and coach, who slapped her in the face.
On Sunday, the European Taekwondo Championships for girls up to the age of eight took place in Tirana, Albania. In the final, the 8-year-old Albanian player lost to her Serbian rival.
The little fighter takes the defeat hard. Disappointed, she makes her way to her coach, who is also her father.
First he grabs her by the helmet and tears it off. The girl collapses to the ground in a heap. Instead of encouraging words, he then slaps her in the face.
Video is currently going viral
A video of the disturbing scene is currently going viral and many people are shocked by the action. The father and coach later commented on it in Albanian media: "She is my daughter and nobody loves her more than me. My wife, Valina's mother, was also there, a few meters away."
He continues: "This is the first and last time in my life. I've been a coach for 20 years. I defend the children at all costs. But she was in a state of shock after her defeat and I wanted to reassure her and make her realize that, despite the defeat, she is vice-champion and that her time will come. She is European vice-champion and will soon become world champion and Olympic champion."
The European Taekwondo Federation banned the coach for six months. The incident showed that he acted in a way that is not tolerated in sport, according to a statement.
