Denying visa to Israeli tennis player could cost United Arab Emirates WTA tounament
cbssports.com wire reports
PARIS — The lucrative Dubai tournament risks being struck from the women’s tennis calendar after the United Arab Emirates refused a visa to Israeli player Shahar Peer, the head of the WTA tour said Monday.
Larry Scott said barring entry to Peer could have ramifications beyond tennis because it threatens the principle that sports and politics should not mix.
Speaking in a telephone interview, he said the WTA will consider “what types of sanctions are going to be deemed to be appropriate in light of what has happened, including whether or not the tournament has a slot on the calendar next year.”
Asked if there is a risk that the tournament could be dropped if Peer does not get redress, Scott replied: “You could say that, yes.”
“There’s two things we need to consider: what’s the future fate of the Dubai tournament and what sanctions apply and the second thing is how does Shahar get treated fairly, how does her situation get redressed?” Scott, the WTA tour’s chairman and CEO, told the Associated Press.
In Israel, in a statement to the AP, Peer said: “I am very disappointed that I have been prevented from playing in the Dubai tournament. I think a red line has been crossed here that could harm the purity of the sport and other sports. I have always believed that politics and sports should not be mixed.”
The UAE rejected Peer’s visa request a day before she was to arrive for the $2 million Dubai Tennis Championships, which includes all the top-10 women’s players.
Peer, 21, ranked 45th, had qualified and was already placed in the woman’s draw. She was scheduled to play Monday against 15th-seeded Russian Anna Chakvetadze.
Organizers gave Peer no reason for the rejection, but it appeared to be due to anti-Israel sentiments in the Gulf state, particularly after last month’s three-week war between Israel and Islamic militants in Gaza.
“There are some very important principles at stake here,” Scott said. “Sports