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4:25 PM
Reut R. Cohen
Spectators will be banned from the venue in Malmo for fear of anti-Israel protests. Malmo, Sweden’s third largest city, has a left-leaning local government and a large Muslim minority. An earlier police report said that they could deal with any potential protests or other security issues. Nevertheless, local leaders narrowly voted to ban spectators.
It's really not hugely difficult to fill and secure a venue with fewer than 5,000 seats. It seems like the the local government in Malmo is simply attempting to render Israeli players pariahs. The International Tennis Federation president, Francesco Ricci Bitti, spoke out against the decision to ban fans. Bitti stated, "We do not agree with the decision by the Malmo authorities to exclude the public, and even at this late date, maintain our request that the decision not to allow spectators be reconsidered."
In February the UAE took bias against Israel a step further and banned Israeli tennis star Shahar Peer (pictured, left) from competing by denying her a visa, which is against Women's Tennis Association regulations. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was fined for their actions. Andy Ram, another Israeli tennis competitor, was granted a visa after this latest controversy.
However, the United Arab Emirates refusal to grant a visa to Israel's Shahar Peer caused many athletes to speak out against the decision, including Venus Williams and Andy Roddick. Roddick also announced that he wouldn't be participating in the Dubai ATP tournament due to the UAE's decision to ban Peer.
Roddick is the 6th-ranked player in the world and top-ranked in the U.S., as of February 2, 2009. He became a Grand Slam singles champion when he won the title at the 2003 U.S. Open. Roddick has reached three other Grand Slam finals (Wimbledon twice, and the U.S. Open). 
I have always admired him as an athlete. His latest decision to refuse to participate in the Dubai ATP tournament as a result of the UAE's discriminatory and bigoted behavior now makes me admire him as a person as well. He has shown common sense. "I really didn't agree with what went on over there," Roddick told Saturday's Los Angeles Times. "I don't know if it's the best thing to mix politics and sports, and that was probably a big part of it."
1 comments. Leave a comment:
I'm impressed with Roddick's stance.
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