Maria Haleckaya Reflects on Age and Career Choices: Im Not at an Age to Spend My Entire Vacation Playing for the National Team

A Russian volleyball player competing in the Brazilian championship, Maria Haletskaya, shared her thoughts on why she does not aspire to return to the national team.

– Back in 2019, you spent a significant amount of time with the Russian national team and even earned a bronze medal at the World Cup. Do you miss those times?
– Honestly, I’m not at the right age or in the right condition to play with the national team during my entire off-season anymore. However, I believe that for the younger generation, being sidelined from international competitions is a huge loss. It hampers the development of emerging players. I truly hope we can return to those tournaments soon so that volleyball in Russia can advance.

– You mentioned age, but Irina Filippishina noted after the match against Serbia that she experienced a «second youth.»
– I would be overjoyed if a «second youth» were to come my way (laughs). In Brazil, I’m certainly not one of the oldest players, perhaps fifth or sixth. Everyone tells me I’m still young and have many years left to play. This is largely due to the fact that here, there’s a strong emphasis on physical development, allowing players to have extended careers, — said Haletskaya in an interview with Championat correspondent Elena Kovalenko.