Tennis- Israeli Ram Wants Action on Dubai

Tuesday, 17 February 2009

Israeli Ram wants action on Dubai

Ram won the 2008 Australian Open with fellow Israeli Jonathan Erlich Tennis's governing bodies should take action when players are refused visas to play in Arab countries, says Israeli doubles specialist Andy Ram. Shahar Peer is not in the women's event because she was not allowed into Dubai and Ram is waiting to hear if he will get a visa for next week's tournament. Ram said: "It's one of the biggest events on the calendar so they have to find a way to have Israelis play there. "The governing bodies, the ATP and the WTA, have to take responsibility." Dubai is in the United Arab Emirates, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Tensions are high after last month's hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israeli citizens are usually only let in if they have dual nationality or there are exceptional circumstances. The 28-year-old Ram, the doubles world number 11, said: "I don't know what should be done. "Maybe cancel the tournament or sanction them with money or something else. But something should be done to make sure this situation does not develop again next year. "It's a complicated situation with the war. I understand the situation of the UAE government but if they make a big tournament and don't accept all the players by ranking, then that is wrong. "Cancelling the tournament is the last thing Shahar, the WTA or the ATP or anybody else wants. It's sad to see politics getting mixed up with sport. It's something I've never had to confront." The tournament has released a statement saying the decision to deny Peer a visa was taken for security reasons. "Concern was raised about her well-being and her presence triggering similar protests. Given public sentiment, the entire tournament could have been boycotted by protesters," said tournament director Salah Tahlak in a prepared statement. An ATP spokesman said: "We are still waiting an official decision on Andy Ram's visa application. Clearly this is an opportunity for the UAE to make the right decision." The men's tournament follows immediately after the women's event and this year will feature eight of the world's top 10 players, including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. The tournament is one of the most prestigious on the calendar, and offers more than £1.4m in prize money. The WTA is considering its options after Peer was banned from entering Dubai. Chief executive Larry Scott says one of those options is to remove the tournament from the 2010 calendar. "The future of this tournament is very much in doubt," Scott said. "We feel a great sense of upset and outrage over what has happened. Our goal is to bring sports above politics and resolving this for the future. "There certainly will be (sanctions) imposed on the tournament but we'll make those decisions following this year's tournament. "They were awarded this tournament with a very clear understanding and their agreement that if an Israeli ever wanted to play, they would be allowed to play." Like the WTA, the ATP's policy is that no player can be denied entry into a tournament for which he has qualified by ranking.