WTF: Wimbledon officials’ decision to refuse participation of Russian athletes is unfair
On May 21st, the World Tennis Federation named the decision of British Wimbledon officials to refuse the participation of Russian athletes as “unfair”.
“The decision of Wimbledon officials to refuse the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes is unfair and there is a possibility of serious damage to the game for the first time in its history,” the mass media quoted the association as saying in a statement.
“The participation of players of any nationality in tournaments is based on merit and without discrimination, which are fundamental to our sport,” the statement said.
“Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing in Britain this summer weakens this principle, impairs the integrity of the league’s ranking system,” the statement added.
It is noteworthy that the organizers of Wimbledon announced last month that the Russian and Belarusian tennis players would be banned from participating in the tournament, justifying their decision on the Russian military operation in Ukraine, in a flagrant violation of the principle of not mixing sport with politics that has been adopted by the sports community for many years.
O. al-Mohammad