Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournament

Simon_Cowbell · Feb 18, 2009

Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

outofplace said:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_ylt=Agic_f0QPGLD2zemY8QoTrg4v7YF?slug=reu-dubaivisa&prov=reuters&type=lgns

And here is the excuse-making from the people running the tournament. There is an Israeli who has applied for a visa so he can compete in the men's tournament next week. Of course, these assholes will wait until the last second to say no just to make it harder to cancel the thing. Of course, that will be the excuse for letting them get away with it, rather than the tour forcing the decision right now.

Utterly disgraceful, but not surprising, that no players dropped out this week in protest.
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Man.... I think it is stunning that not even one said fuck this.

Simon_Cowbell · Feb 18, 2009

Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

Mark2010 said:

Maybe the WTA will refuse to sanction the event in future years. The visa denial happened so late this year, there wasn't much they could do about it.
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WTA could have made a big PR splash by pulling out on just as short notice.

But, instead, every awful stereotype of pro tennis players is augmented.

And, the Williams sisters, shameful, especially with the bullshit that their father fed them about prejudice every second of their lives.

The Williams sisters are making a massive mistake here.

hondo · Feb 18, 2009

Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

Stoney said:

Weren't South African athletes banned from competing in the Olympics and other competions because of their apartheid policies in the 1980s? I seem to recall there being some controversy about some South African athletes like Zola Budd trying to backdoor their way around the ban by obtaining quickie alternative passports.

Isn't that, at least arguably, analogous to this situation? The IOC didn't ban SA athletes because of race or religion, but instead to protest their govt's policies, and I'm sure that decision was lauded by the international community instead of condemned. If Dubai were to claim that this is in objection to the Israeli govt's policies toward Gaza and the palestinian people, how would it be so different? Just wondering what the flaws in that analogy would be.
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A huge difference. South Africa was systematically repressing a race of people and had a government built around keeping them separate. On May 15, 1948, when Israel declared its state, Palestinians were offered full citizenship, with all rights enjoyed by Israeli citizens. That could still happen, if not for the little problem of Hamas lobbing missiles into Israel.

Oggiedoggie · Feb 18, 2009

Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

Nothing's going to happen.

Venus Williams says her fellow players had no intention of boycotting the Dubai Championships after Israeli Shahar Peer was denied a visa.

Dubai is in the United Arab Emirates, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

The WTA, governing body of women's tennis, says the event's future is in doubt after Peer was unable to play.

"There are so many other people involved. Sponsors are important to us," said Williams.

"We wouldn't be here without sponsors. We can't let sponsors down.

"Whatever we do, we need to do as a team - players, sponsors, tour and whoever - and not all break off in one direction. We are team players."
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From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/7897265.stm

The UAE is going to hide behind "security concerns" and, in my opinion, after some hand-wringing, probably won't face sanctions.

Simon_Cowbell · Feb 18, 2009

Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

Venus sounds pathetic.

outofplace · Feb 18, 2009

Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

Oggiedoggie said:

Nothing's going to happen.

Venus Williams says her fellow players had no intention of boycotting the Dubai Championships after Israeli Shahar Peer was denied a visa.

Dubai is in the United Arab Emirates, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

The WTA, governing body of women's tennis, says the event's future is in doubt after Peer was unable to play.

"There are so many other people involved. Sponsors are important to us," said Williams.

"We wouldn't be here without sponsors. We can't let sponsors down.

"Whatever we do, we need to do as a team - players, sponsors, tour and whoever - and not all break off in one direction. We are team players."
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From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/7897265.stm

The UAE is going to hide behind "security concerns" and, in my opinion, after some hand-wringing, probably won't face sanctions.
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Complete fucking joke. If I actually watched tennis, I'd stop now.

poindexter · Feb 18, 2009

Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

"There are so many other people involved. Sponsors are important to us," said Williams.

"We wouldn't be here without sponsors. We can't let sponsors down."

-----

Game, Set, Match

spnited · Feb 18, 2009

Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

Why is anyone surprised that these players are only concerned with themselves and their bank accounts? "We can't let our sponsors down."
TOTAL BULLSHIT.

The days of athletes with social consciences are long gone.

MartinEnigmatica · Feb 18, 2009

Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

Fucking pathetic. What complete sellouts.

Simon_Cowbell · Feb 18, 2009

Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

spnited said:

Why is anyone surprised that these players are only concerned with themselves and their bank accounts? "We can't let our sponsors down."
TOTAL BULLSHIT.

The days of athletes with social consciences are long gone.
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I'm surprised there isn't a single one.

spnited · Feb 18, 2009

Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

I'm guessing there might be one or two who would want to boycott but they don't have the balls to go out on their own.
And they don't want to lose money.

da man · Feb 18, 2009

Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

Federer pulled out ... because of a back injury, not his conscience.

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