Wimbledon's attitude to Russian/Belorussian players ...

by LoveUniHateExams 12 Replies latest social current

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  LoveUniHateExams

  ... is absolutely ridiculous.

  Last year, 2022, Russian and Belorussian tennis players were banned from Wimbledon. Let that just sink in. If you were a pro tennis player, and happened to be a Russian or Belorussian citizen, the All England Club decided that you could not compete at their annual grass tournament.

  Let's explore that particular brand of discrimination and lunacy further. In 1982, Argentina invaded the British Oversees Territory of The Falklands. But Argentinian footballer Diego Maradona still played in the FIFA World Cup that year. Just imagine if he and the entire Argentina squad had been banned, lol. It would have been ridiculous. Maradona wasn't a politician. It was his job to kick a leather ball into a goal, and he was a fantastically gifted player, the GOAT in my opinion.

  There is a tennis body (sorry, don't know its name) which is above the All England Club, and they have decided that Wimbledon must not ban outright Russian and Belorussian tennis players this year. So, a kind of compromise has been reached - Russian/Belorussian players are allowed to compete but they must do so under neutral conditions. So, Russian player Mirra Andreeva is in Wimbledon this year, but the word 'Russia' must not be after her name in brackets.

  The 1936 Berlin Olympics were heavily politicised by Hitler to promote the belief of white supremacy. That hilariously blew up in his face when African-American sprinter Jesse Owens annihilated the white sprinters (and sprinters of other colours) to win multiple golds. The All England Club seemingly has learned nothing from this. Keep politics out of sport, ffs ...
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  Diogenesister

  I agree LUHE I was disgusted that the AEC made that appalling decision last year.🤦🏻‍♀️ Actually I was vaguely ashamed 😝Particularly as players enter on their own behalf...we don't say "America won Wimbledon" we say "Serena Williams won Wimbledon" for heaven's sakes.

  On the one hand they demonise Putin as this evil dictator, yet penalize ordinary Russians for what he supposedly is solely responsible for (with his oligarchs).
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  LoveUniHateExams

  Actually I was vaguely ashamed - yeah, I was too. It made me ashamed to be English.

  On the one hand they demonise Putin as this evil dictator, yet penalize ordinary Russians for what he supposedly is solely responsible for - exactly. Under normal circumstances, if a Russian-born candidate was refused a job because that candidate was Russian, there would be a clear case of unfair discrimination.

  And let's not forget the Belorussian players, too.

  Sabalenka is Belorussian, and she was penalised because Belorussian dictator Alexander Lukashenko supports Putin. It's madness, utter madness.
  
  
  
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  slimboyfat

  It’s only fair after all - remember all the UK and US athletes who were banned from the 2004 Olympics following the illegal invasion of Iraq.

  And it’ll be good to see Putin in The Hague once the trials of Blair and Bush are wrapped up.
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  LoveUniHateExams

  Damn, Slim, you're sarcasm is so sharp that it can cut people without them knowing it, lol.
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  Simon

  The 1936 Berlin Olympics were heavily politicised by Hitler to promote the belief of white supremacy. That hilariously blew up in his face when African-American sprinter Jesse Owens annihilated the white sprinters (and sprinters of other colours) to win multiple golds.

  Fun fact: Hitler didn't refuse to shake hands with Owens - he didn't congratulate any of the gold medal winners. But the US president refused to invite him to the WhiteHouse with other winners, or even send a congratulatory telegram. But hey, he was a democrat after all, what do you expect?

  Fun fact II: the Nazi party copied a lot of their racist belief system from the US democratic party, but decided to tone it down because they thought it was a bit too strong. Think about that.
  
  
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  Simon

  The west's treatment of private citizens from regimes they don't like is hypocritical and childish. The US is guilty of far worse than Russia is, but would have been outraged if their citizens had been refused entry to those same competitions for equivalent reasons.

  What do they think it accomplishes, really? Petty politics to fool their own followers that they have "power" and are "doing something".
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  Diogenesister

  The west's treatment of private citizens from regimes they don't like is hypocritical and childish.

  Wimbledon crowd boo (Byleuruss player) Victoria Azarenka off court after defeat to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina

  Azarenka blamed ‘drunk’ fans who had ‘a lot of Pimms’ after she was booed off court at Wimbledon

  🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️
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  LoveUniHateExams

  I can't see anyone beating Djokovic in the Men's.

  But, a part of me kinda wants a female Russian or Belorussian player to win the Ladies' Singles Final.

  It would be hilarious watching the British media and Wimbledon trying to deal with that, lol.
• 

  Journeyman

  It would be hilarious watching the British media and Wimbledon trying to deal with that

  It only seems to be a problem for Wimbledon's tournament administrators. The majority of the British public and the media don't have a problem with tennis players (or any other personalities) from Russia or Belarus. They can distinguish between Russian political activists or sympathisers and otherwise ordinary citizens who happen to be from there. It's the sporting authorities who are getting themselves tied in knots unnecessarily over this.

  The only group of Russians that the media have been concerned with (rightly), are the oligarchs and millionaires/billionaires who the Conservative party used to suck up to, who bought up lots of properties in London and who have become a source of embarrassment to the government these days! https://unherd.com/2023/04/britains-oligarchs-are-stuck-in-limbo/