On Wednesday, the All England Lawn Tennis Club – best known as the venue for Wimbledon – decided to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the Grass Grand Slam tournament due to the country’s role in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The controversial decision, which noted that players were first banned from competing on the basis of their nationality after German and Japanese players were expelled after World War II, meant that world number two for men Daniil Medvedev and number 8 Andrei Rublev from Russia, as well as the fourth Arina Sabalenka in women and the 18th in the world Victoria Azarenka from Belarus will be among those banned from the tournament.
In a statement issued Wednesday, AELTC said the decision was made in an attempt to “limit Russia’s global influence by the strongest possible means”.
“In the circumstances of such unjustified and unprecedented military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to reap any benefits from the participation of Russian or Belarusian players in the championship,” Wimbledon said in a statement.
AELTC’s decision to ban athletes based solely on their nationality sets a worrying precedent that punishes individual athletes for decisions made by their governments. This is a form of discrimination that serves no purpose other than to feed the Kremlin’s victim complex and reinforce Russia’s propaganda story of Western Russophobia.
The ban was also met with strong disapproval from the men’s and women’s tour, as well as some of the leading athletes and former sports champions. The Women’s Tennis Association said the ban was “neither fair nor justified”, while the Tennis Professionals Association, which runs the men’s tennis tour, noted that discrimination based on nationality “violates our agreement with Wimbledon, which states that player entry is based solely on the ATP rankings. ‘
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who grew up in war-torn Serbia, called Wimbledon’s decision “crazy”, adding that athletes should not be held responsible for the ongoing conflict.
“I will always condemn the war; “I will never support the war to be a child of war,” Djokovic told the Serbian Open on Wednesday.
Martina Navratilova, one of the most famous and successful champions in sports, condemned the ban in an interview with LBC Radio, saying she was “almost in tears” from the decision.
“Russian players and Belarusian players, some have even expressed opposition to the war,” said Navratilova, who renounced her Czech citizenship during the 1975 Cold War conflict in exchange for American citizenship: “I understand the ban on teams of course, but on an individual level I just think it’s wrong.
Navratilova’s distinction between individual and team sports is worth considering. While team sports such as football are usually funded by the state and used for soft power and state prestige – similar to the Russian national team at the 2018 World Cup – the same methodology does not necessarily apply to athletes competing in individual sports. like tennis. Unless athletes have openly expressed support for Russia’s ongoing military efforts in Ukraine or have previously been linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin or other instigators of war, it is incorrect to assume, as AELTC has done, that their participation in Wimbledon will be used to promote the Russian regime.
Among those banned from competing at Wimbledon is Russian tennis star Andrei Rublev, who wrote “no war, please” on camera after winning the Dubai Tennis Championship just days after Russia began its war against Ukraine. He followed the press conference, saying: “It’s not about my match, but how it affects me. What is happening is much worse. ” Still, despite his bold stance at his own expense, Wimbledon decided to ban him from competing in the event.
Azarenka, a former world number one, has also been banned from competing at Wimbledon, although she has not lived in Belarus since she was 15. The two-time Grand Slam winner and gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympics also posted a statement on Twitter condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, aided by her native Belarus.
While several Ukrainian players welcomed the Wimbledon ban, others such as Elina Svitolina argued that if some Russian and Belarusian players did not elect or vote for the governments responsible for the war, “then it is fair to allow them to play and compete. “.
The controversial Wimbledon ban also raises questions about whether such restrictive measures will apply equally to different conflicts around the world. Will the tournaments ban athletes from Saudi Arabia and block events in the United Arab Emirates because of their respective roles in the ongoing war and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen? Will Israeli athletes be banned from treating Palestinians, which Human Rights Watch described as “crimes against and apartheid crimes against humanity?” Will Chinese athletes be held accountable for Chinese Communist Party crimes against humanity and the systematic attack on Uighur Muslims? ?
Unless athletes have shown support for any of the aforementioned crimes or the governments that represent them, it would be unfair to blame them for things beyond their control.
Wimbledon said in a statement that it could reconsider its position “if circumstances change significantly from now until June”. However, this would require a change in policy from the British government or an end to the conflict – results that are unlikely to occur in time.
It should also be noted that the decision to ban athletes from competing in international events will do little to prevent Putin from continuing his brutal military efforts in Ukraine. Putin’s attack on Ukraine is rooted in imperialism, expansionism and a determination to secure Russia’s unimpeded status as a global superpower. This is evident from his previous military efforts in Chechnya, Georgia and Syria. Therefore, the assumption that banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in international tournaments will put pressure on the despotic Russian leader to continue his war is as wrong as it is ridiculous.
Although it is imperative to limit Russia’s reach and ability to finance its war and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine through targeted sanctions and by providing economic assistance and support to Ukraine, a total ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes does not achieve the stated goal. and instead feeds the anti-Russian zeal and further divides an already polarized sports world.
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