ASTANA -- Promising Bulgarian tennis player Sesil Karantcheva has received Kazakh citizenship and will play for Kazakhstan in international tournaments, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.
The 19-year-old player showed great promise as a young teen and made the quarterfinals at the French Open before testing positive for steroids and receiving a two-year ban from the World Tennis Association in 2006.
Kazakhstan's Tennis Federation says it will pay Karantcheva $65,000 per year to play for Kazakhstan.
Young Russian tennis players Yaroslava Shvedova and Galina Voskoboyeva also received Kazakh citizenship last year and now represent Kazakhstan in international tennis tournaments.
The 19-year-old player showed great promise as a young teen and made the quarterfinals at the French Open before testing positive for steroids and receiving a two-year ban from the World Tennis Association in 2006.
Kazakhstan's Tennis Federation says it will pay Karantcheva $65,000 per year to play for Kazakhstan.
Young Russian tennis players Yaroslava Shvedova and Galina Voskoboyeva also received Kazakh citizenship last year and now represent Kazakhstan in international tennis tournaments.