The link between politics and sports is a tricky one. In theory sports should transcend political boundaries. In reality, it is quite different.
Think of the Olympics. It was a huge political statement for China, a chance to showcase the country to the world. But the political decision came when China was awarded the Games. Once that was done, politics had to leave the arena, sportsmen and women should have been left to get on with competing in the Games without even the shadow of a doubt about whether they should take part.
Similarly when a country decides to host an international tournament such as the Olympics or the World Cup, it has to consider how it would react to the presence on its soil of competitors and players from countries it has no diplomatic relations with. The political decision is taken at that stage.
Agreeing to host a tournament means allowing the best competitors to compete regardless of the passports they hold. It is generally a condition of holding an international event.
In the Arab world this means Israel. If the Soccer World Cup were held in an Arab or Muslim country that has no diplomatic relations with Isreal, we would have to accept the possibility of the Israeli national team playing on that Arab/Muslim territory. The national authorities could not exclude a team that had qualified for the tournament from taking part.
But can you imagine it? Can you imagine the riots and the protests that would ensue? Violence would be guaranteed. And indeed security issues are the only acceptable reasons for not allowing such a game to take place.
Security was the reason given by the UAE government for refusing to grant a visa to the Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer in the women’s tennis tournament in Dubai this week. There was widespread speculation that the UAE government would also refuse to grant Andy Ram, another Israeli, a visa to play in the men’s championship next week, but he has been given “special permission” to take part.
As unpalatable as it may seem, I think the decision is the right one. For a start, tennis players compete as individuals. This is not the Davis Cup, which is played between nations. For another, the consequences for the UAE as a host to international sports events had it excluded Ram would have been severe. It would certainly have seen the disappearance of both the women’s and the men’s tour. It could also have expected repercussions in other world-class sports events it hosts. These are the rules of the game, hosting a tournament means allowing any player who qualifies to play.
Andy Ram may see some protests when he plays. Some say his presence in the tournament provides Dubai residents with the chance to voice their anger at Israel’s actions against the Palestinians, the chance to protest peacefully and intelligently. So long as the Dubai authorities are confident that they can handle the player’s security, which it seems they do, then the anger caused by his presence in Dubai should not be a problem but an opportunity.
But what if a tennis tournament was held in Israel, should an Arab player take part? That is not the question addressed here. Individual players should be able to choose whether or not to take part in a tournament or championship held in a country with which they take political issue and especially consider the personal consequences they may face were they to take part in such a tournament. I fully understand and support the decision of football players who have refused to play in Israel for instance. The question here is not about individual sportsmen not being allowed to express political opinions or act on their conscience but of the integrity of international championships and tournaments.
The ATP was very clear that they would act swiftly and strongly to remove the men’s championship from Dubai had Ram been excluded and they are right. They need to ensure that all players who qualify to compete in a tournament are allowed to compete. Would they have been as vocal had the player in question been from say Zimbabwe?
I would like to think so though I have some doubts. But for now let us give them the benefit of the doubt. They did the right thing in putting pressure on the organizers to ensure Ram was given a visa, just as the UAE authorities were right to make a special exception in his case and give a visa to a national from a country with whom they have no diplomatic relations. When Ram steps out on the court in Dubai, he is simply a tennis player competing in a tournament. It is not a political statement, just a tennis game. Allowing him to enter the country though is a political statement, a statement that the UAE plays fair and respects the rules of the game.
