A Sport With Ethics and a Conscience

Unfortunately, in so many cases, politics have a direct effect on sports. None more so than the politics in the Middle East. No one can forget that day in Munich in 1972 when Israeli Olympic athletes were held hostage, then died at the hands of terrorists. Again in Moscow in 1980, when the U.S. boycotted and led a multi-nation boycott of the Olympics over an issue with the Soviet Union and their troop presence in Afghanistan.

The Olympics, and sports, are supposed to be where all these differences and issues take a back stage, where politics, religion, and ethnicity don't matter. The winners and losers are supposed to be determined on the fields and courts, not by the whims of governments and political movements.

Once again, politics reigned supreme, this time being the denial by the United Arab Emirates of a visa to Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer. The denial prevented Shahar from competing in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Premier Tier Dubai Championships. With a total payout of $2,000,000 and a boatload of ranking points up for grabs, the denial hits the 45th-ranked women's player in the pocketbook, with repercussions that will follow her for several tournaments to come.

It also taints a sport known for being truly international. It dishonors a sport that has players of all races and religions, including at its upper ranks. Tournaments are granted their calendar slots as part of the tour with the understanding that they will abide by the rules of the tour, which include non-discrimination in all forms. In this case, the UAE and Dubai Championships violated that agreement and trust.

Just today, the UAE issued a reversal on the policy for Israeli athletes. A little too little and a lot too late for Shahar. Some good did come of it, though, as Andy Ram is scheduled to compete in the ATP Tour event that will be held there next week.

Shahar summed it up best in her statement just released: "It is still very unfortunate that due to the decision of the Dubai tournament and the UAE, I could not participate in the tournament this year. This has hurt me significantly both personally and professionally. However, I am very happy for Andy Ram, who will be able to compete next week in Dubai. I hope and believe that from this day forward, athletes from all over the world will be able to compete in the UAE and anywhere else in the world without discrimination of any kind. I personally look forward to competing in Dubai next year."

Larry Scott, CEO of the WTA Tour, also released a statement. It supported Shahar, and seems to assure the tennis fan and tennis world that this type of politics should not and will not be tolerated, especially when it's all about what goes on between the white lines. I'm not privy to what went on behind the scenes, but it is clear that the stance taken by the tour and Mr. Scott could have and may still have financial impacts on the tour in seasons to come.

Larry Scott said:

"Shahar Peer is owed all of our thanks for her courage in challenging an unjust policy and for forcing action to be taken that resulted in today's announcement. We thank all of the many organizations and individuals that rallied behind Shahar and pressed the UAE to change their discriminatory stance. It is deeply regrettable that Shahar had to suffer the negative consequences of the UAE decision this past week in order for this policy to get turned around for the benefit of others.


"What happened to Shahar last week was discriminatory, reprehensible, and unacceptable, and the Tour will shortly be determining remedies for her, penalties to be imposed on the tournament, and the additional assurances we will require to guarantee all Israeli athletes entry to the UAE so that future tournaments in the UAE may take place. I welcome the decision just announced by the United Arab Emirates and the Dubai tournament to reverse a stance that until now has prevented Israeli athletes from competing in the UAE. This is a great victory for the principle that all athletes should be treated equally and without discrimination, regardless of gender, religion, race, or nationality. It is also a victory for sport as a whole, and the power of sport to bring people together."

It is rare in professional sports when the top person takes a strong stand against injustice. In today's culture, the dollar reigns supreme. Thank you, Larry Scott, and thank you to all the players, media, and fans that brought pressure on the UAE and Dubai Championships to correct this great injustice. Tennis and politics should never mix, at least not in this way.

Imagine if all other professional sports did this. Imagine if Bud Selig actually took a stance, let alone a strong stance, now that Alex Rodriguez has confessed...