"The WTA has fined Dubai Tennis Championships organizers a record $300,000 after Israeli player Shahar Peer was denied a visa by the United Arab Emirates.
The Women’s Tennis Association also took steps Friday to compensate Peer and ensure she and other Israeli players won’t be shut out of future tournaments in the federation.
Organizers said at the time that they feared fan anger over Israel’s recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip would spill into riots in the Persian Gulf country if Peer were to play.
Part of the fine will go to Peer and doubles partner Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany to make up for the prize money they could have won at the lucrative tournament."
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13 comments:
Round I: access denied
Round II: access granted,
they let the male israeli player in
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/29225263/
Good to hear that... political conflict should be kept out of sports.
Irrespective of what we feel about the Israel-Palestine conflict, sports should not be tainted with conflict. Players have, on many occasions acted as ambassadors of peace.
thanks ADB - i so agree.. less fussed about the fine but about the principle..
i dont remember of this blog dealt with try the bahraini athlete who was denied the right to return after competing in israel.. but i think that was a shame too.. i hope something changes..
i have a palestinian friend from jericho who is a worl class athlete and he (thank goodness) is given access to travel the world for training and competition and i hope atheletes in gaza get the same chance ie to develop and compete..
athletes represent amaizng qualities and inspire us to be better.. they should generally be unhindered..
blackmailing !
How does it feel now proud emirati? the UAE doesn't recognize Israel yet they're giving money to an Israeli!
the boycott of a company involved in the jerusalem rail project?!!? thats insane.. that project will allow the arab residents of beit hanina to have easier access to western jerusalem's superios hospitals schools and infrastructure not to mention the old city and the domes - why oppose a project that helps bring people together..
there are so many ways for people to influence the world.. i often dont understand the choices people make..
if the whole of the arab world refused to use intel chips it would hurt us much more or abandonned SAP systems etc etc.. but instead a saga is staged around an athlete..
i really dont understand.. i would really like to..
Dubai Jazz: Stop derailing topics; this isn't a topic about boycotting stuff.
Sam,
The 'topic' isn't about boycotting? What is it about then?
All I am saying is that regardless of what happened in this particular incident, the efforts to boycott Israel are fruitful. And I brought forward examples.
And to all of those who breach about not mixing politics with sports, let me ask you this question: are Palestinians athletes under occupation allowed to compete internationally under their national flag?
my palestinian friend from jericho does.. ill ask him again.. but i understood that he had been given access to compete and train wherever he wanted to - including in the UAE and im assuming he represented palestine..
see also
http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=31240
i think the message here is that this should change.. sport should become a political adhesive rather than partition..
Dubai should just pay up like 5 million upfront for the next 3 years. OR cancel it all together.
OR better yet, make it an INVITATION only type of thing, not part of any actual international organization.
i guess from an olympic perspective palestine is a country - check out the membership of Asia's olympic council:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Council_of_Asia
If you make an exception for sports, then why would you not make an exception for artists or dancers or movie directors?
And if you let directors and artists and dancers in, then who do you NOT let in?
The line needs to be drawn somewhere...Until politics decide otherwise.
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