The father and coach of an eight-year-old taekwondo star received backlash after slapping his daughter when she lost in the European Championships final.
Valina Fetiou had been representing Kosovo at the European Children’s Taekwondo Championships in Tirana, Albania, when the shocking incident occurred, local media report.
Her opponent in the six- to eight-year-old female category, Serbian athlete Nina Savic, took the gold medal in the competition.
After the match, the video shows Valina walking towards her father, who then violently pulls her towards him by her helmet before ripping it off.
The girl then collapses to the ground before the coach drags her up and punches her in the face, and the girl’s head is seen spinning from the impact.
Valina Fetiou was representing Kosovo at the European Children’s Taekwondo Championships in Tirana when the incident occurred, local media report.
The girl collapsed to the ground before the coach dragged her up and punched her in the face, shocking video shows.
A shocked Taekwondo referee who witnessed the slap intervenes, footage shows, apparently telling the man to stop.
While Mr. Fetiou continues to forcefully remove his daughter’s kit, the referee puts his arm between them, which the coach rejects.
The pair appear to argue before the referee leaves, and Valina then leaves the arena for another referee.
The father sparked further condemnation after claiming he delivered the slap “just to calm the athlete down”, according to reports.
Mr. Fetiou was given a six-month suspension from all national and international activities by the European Taekwondo Federation.
The sports body stated that it made the decision due to the “physically aggressive” behavior shown by the coach.