ATP Tour - United Arab Emirates grant Ram visa

Eurosport - Thu, 19 Feb 18:28:00 2009

The United Arab Emirates will allow Israel's Andy Ram to play in the men's Dubai Championships, the state news agency WAM said.

TENNIS 2009 ATP Dubai Andy Ram - 0

A UAE foreign ministry official was quoted as saying the doubles specialist would be given "special permission" to take part.

"This does not politically imply any form of normalisation with countries with which the UAE has no diplomatic relations," the official told WAM.

Top Israeli player Shahar Peer had to forfeit her place in the women's tournament in Dubai after the UAE blocked her visa application.

"We welcome the change of the UAE policy which will allow Andy Ram to play this week in Dubai and which clarifies that all Israeli athletes will be able to compete in future tournaments in UAE," WTA chief Larry Scott said.

Tournament officials defended the stance, saying local fans would have boycotted the event if an Israeli was allowed to compete and that Peer's safety could also have been compromised.

The UAE, like most Arab countries, has no diplomatic ties with Israel and routinely denies entry to Israelis.

Tensions have been heightened after the three-week Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip, which killed 1,300 Palestinians and 14 Israelis. Although the conflict ended in January it caused deep anger around the Arab and Muslim worlds.

The refusal to issue a visa to Peer violated WTA Tour rules, which state any player should be able to compete where she wishes if she has the required ranking.

After players, officials, Jewish leaders and even some sponsors condemned the UAE for excluding Peer, pressure mounted on the men's ATP tournament to be cancelled if Ram was also denied entry.

"I am pleased that the efforts to secure Andy Ram's visa to compete in Dubai next week have been successful," ATP chief Adam Helfant said.

"The UAE government has made the right decision.

"No player, who qualifies to play an ATP World Tour event, should be denied their right to compete on the basis of ethnicity, nationality or religion and we are happy that the Dubai Tennis Championships and the UAE have shown that they share that view."

Scott said the women's tour would still take action against the women's tournament for barring Peer.

"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," Scott said.

"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."

Reuters

Comment 9 - 28 of 28

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  1. tankusuleman HIV R.I.P. " 2009 "
    Was­ discovered to be f@cking his m@uther on a regular basis­ and was stoned to death.............

    From Nicholas, on Sat 21 Feb 11:34AM

  2. tankusuleman

    I'd thought by now you'd be a­ martyr! I mean, it's surprising you haven't­ considered meeting your 70 virgins by blowing yourself­ up! What r u still doing alive? Isn't that you­ terrorists tennis game? What a great fool you make!

    From owen, on Sat 21 Feb 11:10AM

  3. I was going to call you a sat pathetic human being. But­ I suspect there are some on here who might object to­ the "Human" bit.

    And for Rodney T. She has­ been compensated. Both financially and with WTA ranking­ points.

    So all Dubai have done is show themselves to­ be both racist in the first place, and then gutless­ enough not to have the balls to stand by their­ position. And a big fine, and they may well still lose­ the tournament for future years.
    So who won this one?­
    Not you thats for sure.

    From big_davey_b, on Sat 21 Feb 9:19AM

  4. Tankusuleman.
    Thankfully your place in hell is already­ assured. Or are you waiting for your 50 virgins? Fool!

    From big_davey_b, on Sat 21 Feb 9:12AM

  5. u refused to post my earlier statement. anyway i rest­ my case. white pigs

    From tankusuleman, on Fri 20 Feb 11:42PM

  6. eurosport, rascist

    From tankusuleman, on Fri 20 Feb 11:41PM

  7. tankusuleman, you must be depressed and heart broken.­ Guess what ? Andy Ram will be in Dubai next week &­ there's nothing you can do about it you moron, so­ why don't you go fu#ck your sister you hypocrite.

    From achur o, on Thu 19 Feb 11:28PM

  8. tankusulman,you are a very sad pathetic little man.You­ have nothing to offer the world,so do the rest of­ humanity a favor and behead yourself.This is a tennis­ forum you waster,pedal your hate and sexual­ frustrations somewhere else.

    From carlos480bc, on Thu 19 Feb 11:05PM

  9. amalgamated white @#$%, why dont you charge eurosport­ to court for allowing the truth to be told. to hell­ with israel and all its supporters. dogs

    From tankusuleman, on Thu 19 Feb 10:10PM

  10. come to think of it, even your pastors and reverend­ fathers sleep with small boys to satisfy themselves­ sexually. for goodness sake wat do you call such­ animals. anyway the jews dont even recognise your­ christ and for heaven sakes they killed him you moron

    From tankusuleman, on Thu 19 Feb 10:08PM

  11. thank god u only hear of white dogs sleeping with their­ children and bearing babies for them. you white rascist­ are the same as goats. say wat eva you want to say but­ i assure you, just like the change that happened in the­ usa, so it shall be when the zionist state of israel is­ wiped out this continents. you dogs

    From tankusuleman, on Thu 19 Feb 10:02PM

  12. amalgamated white @#$%, why dont you charge eurosport­ to court for allowing the truth to be told. to hell­ with israel and all its supporters. dogs

    From tankusuleman, on Thu 19 Feb 9:55PM

  13. uae got scared.hahahahahahaha LMAO

    From wen, on Thu 19 Feb 9:41PM

  14. shame on you uae!ignorant fool country.

    From wen, on Thu 19 Feb 9:40PM

  15. Ignorant Suleiman, you missed some lessons in school/­ Haven't you studied the theory of relativity? Your­ "truth" is distorted. Long live the cancerous­ expansion of islam, all over the world!

    EE

    From Amalgamated B, on Thu 19 Feb 9:38PM

  16. amalgamated white @#$%, why dont you charge eurosport­ to court for allowing the truth to be told. to hell­ with israel and all its supporters. dogs

    From tankusuleman, on Thu 19 Feb 9:21PM

  17. amalgamated white @#$%, why dont you charge eurosport­ to court for allowing the truth to be told. to hell­ with israel and all its supporters. dogs

    From tankusuleman, on Thu 19 Feb 9:20PM

  18. amalgamated white @#$%, why dont you charge eurosport­ to court for allowing the truth to be told. to hell­ with israel and all its supporters. dogs

    From tankusuleman, on Thu 19 Feb 9:19PM

  19. amalgamated white @#$%, why dont you charge eurosport­ to court for allowing the truth to be told. to hell­ with israel and all its supporters. dogs

    From tankusuleman, on Thu 19 Feb 9:18PM

  20. Idiot "tankusuleman" feels sorry that hitler­ hasn't "finished the job" regarding­ "the blood thirsty jews". And you at­ Eurosport HAVE to post all shmuk's comments?

    EE

    From Amalgamated B, on Thu 19 Feb 9:13PM
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