The Russian Tennis Federation (RTF) has named dope offender and suspended star Maria Sharapova among four tennis players, who will compete in women's singles at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The squad includes Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Darya Kasatkina.
Sharapova had faced an anti-doping panel in London last week and she was reported to face a possible four-year ban from the game. However, the decision on the extent of her punishment is yet to come. After testing positive for meldonium, a banned substance according to WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), she was handed a provisional ban from the game by the ITF from March 12.
She admitted using the drug under the name of mildronate, saying she was completely unaware that it was a part of WADA's list of banned substances. She had however mentioned that she was determined to return to tennis, after admitting to using meldonium.The challenge for Sharapova is to see the ban overturned, the verdict of which is expected to come next month.