Israel's Andy Ram has been granted a visa for Dubai
DUBAI — Israeli tennis player Andy Ram has been given a visa to play in next week's ATP Dubai Open, official sources said on Thursday.
There had been concern Ram might not be able to play the event after compatriot Shahar Peer was denied entry into this week's women's two million dollar Dubai Open with organisers citing security fears and concern for her own safety.
But a foreign ministry official in Abu Dhabi said a visa was being issued. The director of consular affairs at the ministry, Sultan al-Kortassi, told the official Wam news agency that the decision was in accordance "with the obligations of Emirates to organise international sporting, cultural and economic events without restriction to the participation of individuals from UN member states.
"That is the policy we follow and which does not imply from a political point of view any form of normalisation (of links) with countries which do not have diplomatic relations" with the United Arab Emirates.
The denial of a visa for Peer, the world number 48, brought a strongly worded statement from the Women's Tennis Association, which runs the women's tour and also raised doubts as to the tournament's future in the Gulf state.
Peer had in contrast received a visa to play in the Qatar Open in Doha last year, a visit which was a considerable success both in tennis and diplomatic terms.
But the change in relations between Israel and neighbouring states, following the recent Gaza conflict prompted Dubai officials to turn down her application with organisers stressing security was their top consideration, amid the heightened tension in the region.
Organisers also cited the risk of a spectator boycott, and a potential threat to Peer's well-being.
Peer herself issued a statement saying she did not want other players to suffer while stressing there was no place for politics in sport.
"There should be no place for politics or discrimination in professional tennis or indeed any sport," she insisted.
And she called on the WTA to take "appropriate actions to ensure that this injustice is not allowed to occur in the future."
Source: Naharnet Newsdesk
There had been concern Ram might not be able to play the event after compatriot Shahar Peer was denied entry into this week's women's two million dollar Dubai Open with organisers citing security fears and concern for her own safety.
But a foreign ministry official in Abu Dhabi said a visa was being issued. The director of consular affairs at the ministry, Sultan al-Kortassi, told the official Wam news agency that the decision was in accordance "with the obligations of Emirates to organise international sporting, cultural and economic events without restriction to the participation of individuals from UN member states.
"That is the policy we follow and which does not imply from a political point of view any form of normalisation (of links) with countries which do not have diplomatic relations" with the United Arab Emirates.
The denial of a visa for Peer, the world number 48, brought a strongly worded statement from the Women's Tennis Association, which runs the women's tour and also raised doubts as to the tournament's future in the Gulf state.
Peer had in contrast received a visa to play in the Qatar Open in Doha last year, a visit which was a considerable success both in tennis and diplomatic terms.
But the change in relations between Israel and neighbouring states, following the recent Gaza conflict prompted Dubai officials to turn down her application with organisers stressing security was their top consideration, amid the heightened tension in the region.
Organisers also cited the risk of a spectator boycott, and a potential threat to Peer's well-being.
Peer herself issued a statement saying she did not want other players to suffer while stressing there was no place for politics in sport.
"There should be no place for politics or discrimination in professional tennis or indeed any sport," she insisted.
And she called on the WTA to take "appropriate actions to ensure that this injustice is not allowed to occur in the future."
Source: Naharnet Newsdesk
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