Wimbledon bans Russian and Belarusian tennis players over Ukraine war
The great British will prohibit them from competing from June 27 to July 10 on the grass of London. Up to 16 players appear in the 'top-100', between boys and girls
Wimbledon announced on Wednesday that it will prohibit tennis players from Russia and Belarus from competing in the next edition due to the military offensive of the country chaired by Vladimir Putin on Ukraine, in collusion with the latter. Therefore, players like Daniil Medvedev, who reached number one on February 24, or the prestigious Victoria Azarenka, absent from the courts since March due to "extreme stress", will not be able to play from June 27 to July 10 in the All England Tennis & Croquet Club.
“We wish to express our continued support to all those affected by the conflict in Ukraine during these shocking and distressing moments”, the organization transmitted through a statement, specifying that they have followed the UK government guidelines and that they act out of “responsibility”. in the face of "such an unjustified and unprecedented military aggression"; therefore, the club transmits, "we intend, with deep regret, to reject the registration of Russian and Belarusian players in the 2022 edition."
The great British is the first tournament to veto tennis players of these nationalities, who today compete as "neutral athletes" and until now have been able to compete in all the events that have been held since the beginning of the conflict; yes, by decision of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the ATP and the WTA -these last two, the bodies that govern the men's and women's circuit, respectively-, do so without any flag or national emblem next to their name.
“We recognize that this is hard on those affected, and sadly they will suffer from the actions of the Russian regime leaders,” current President Ian Hewitt said. The ban, as determined by the British Tennis Federation (LTA), extends to all tournaments that are played in British territory. However, the leader clarified that if events change, they could rectify: "If circumstances change materially between now and June, we will consider it and respond accordingly."
Team Exclusion
Until this Wednesday, the ITF had executed the most drastic maneuver, by prohibiting players from participating in team competitions. Consequently, Russia and Belarus will not be able to participate this year in the Davis Cup (men's competition) or the Billie Jean King Cup (women's). However, until now there was no type of individual veto. It should be remembered that Russia was proclaimed champion in both tournaments and that it is one of the strongest nations in the world of tennis today.
Before the London club announced its decision, the English media anticipated the news, although the buzz came from afar. From the outset, the British government had established a regulation by which Russian and Belarusian athletes have to declare in writing that they condemn the Russian invasion, but Wimbledon has gone further and has definitively opted for exclusion. A decision that has a direct impact on the representation of both countries.
There are currently four Russian players ranked in the top 30 in the men's category: Medvedev (2nd), Andrey Rublev (8th), Karen Khachanov (26th), and Aslan Karatsev (30th). In the women's circuit, the Wimbledon veto affects, for example, the Belarusians Aryna Sabalenka, semifinalist of the tournament last year and current number four in the world, and Azarenka, who after being eliminated in the second round in Miami announced that she was going to take an "indefinite hiatus" after breaking down in tears during a game in Indian Wells two weeks earlier.
- The complicit "silence"
Specifically, up to 11 players from the top-100 will pay the bill for the war at Wimbledon, for the five male representatives that appear right now in that strip.
"No to war", Rublev positioned himself in February, when he managed to reach the final in Dubai. "I have always said that I am a supporter of peace," Medvedev introduced (in the reserves today, due to a herniated disc) before competing in Miami. "I have my own opinions and I talk about them with my family, with my wife, with whom I can discuss even if we don't agree and nothing happens," he added ambiguously.
Much more forceful had been Azarenka: "I want the war to end." And yesterday the Ukrainians Marta Kostyuk (52nd) and former player Sergiy Stakhovsky, who replaced the racket to fight, influenced the issue. Both issued a statement through social networks in which they demand that the tennis rectors follow the Wimbledon line and extend the ban to all tournaments while pointing out some colleagues on the circuit. “In times of crisis, silence means agreeing with what is happening. We have noticed that some Russian and Belarusian players have vaguely mentioned the war.”
- Rejection of ATP and WTA
The ATP, meanwhile, opposes the measure adopted by the British major. "It is unfair and has the potential to set a harmful precedent for the game," the agency lamented in a statement; "Discrimination based on nationality also constitutes a violation of our agreement with Wimbledon, which states that players' entry is based solely on ranking." The WTA, for its part, expressed itself along the same lines.
Yes, the Russian authorities did it from Moscow. “It is unacceptable,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov criticized Wednesday. "It is inadmissible to once again make athletes hostage to political intrigues and prejudices, to hostile actions towards our country," he continued; “Keeping in mind that Russia is a very strong country in tennis, with its marginalization they will lose their own competitions. I hope they can come back soon."
- The situation remains "difficult" in Chornobyl, according to Ukraine
Ukrainian authorities have not yet had a chance to inspect the former Chornobyl nuclear power plant since the Russian withdrawal on March 31, Ukrainian authorities have told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According to the general director of the organization, Rafael Grossi, Kyiv affirms that the situation at the plant, where the worst civil nuclear accident in history took place in 1986, "continues to be difficult".
Grossi plans to lead an IAEA expert mission later this month too, according to the organization's statement, "carry out nuclear safety tests and radiological assessments, deliver vital equipment and repair remote surveillance systems installed by the agency, inoperative since Russia took over the plant, at the beginning of the invasion". "There is still a lot of work to be done to get the area back to normal," Grossi said.
- The US announces new measures to ensure compliance with sanctions on Russia
The United States Department of the Treasury announced this Wednesday new sanctions on Russia, focused on guaranteeing compliance with the measures already established against Russian economic interests, individuals, and companies. In a statement, the Treasury has reported that this new round of sanctions includes the environment of the ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalist oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev and also includes a bank and several companies operating in the Russian cryptocurrency industry.
Specifically, the Treasury Department mentions the bitcoin holding company BitRiver, along with 10 of its subsidiary companies based in Russia. These companies are engaged in cryptocurrency mining and Russia is the third-largest industry in the world in this sector. Transkapitalbank is another bank included in the list. As the US has highlighted, its objective with these new measures is to ensure that existing sanctions are complied with, since this commercial bank could be helping to avoid these penalties.
"Treasury can and will target those who circumvent, attempt to circumvent, or assist in the circumvention of US sanctions against Russia, as they are helping to support Putin's chosen brutal war," said Brian Nelson, Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. (Reuters)
Several Western economic leaders walk out of the G-20 meeting as Russia takes the floor
As promised, the finance ministers of Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States have left the room at the moment which the Russian delegates to the G-20 meeting in Washington have taken the floor. "The world's democracies will not remain indifferent to Russia's continued aggression and war crimes," Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on her Twitter account.
The Russian Deputy Finance Minister, Timur Maximov, was present at the meeting, while the Finance Minister, Anton Siluanov, and the Governor of the Central Bank, Elvira Nabiulina, participated electronically. According to sources present at the meeting, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told the participants that Russia cannot be doing "business as usual" in the world economy. Indonesia, which chairs the G-20 this year, has opposed Russia's expulsion from the international group.
Always according to these sources, the president of the ECB, Christine Lagarde, did not leave the meeting, but she did address Maximov to demand that he transmit a message to Moscow asking for the end of the invasion of Ukraine. For her part, the managing director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, has insisted on the need to continue cooperation despite the "very, very disturbing facts that we have to deal with." Meanwhile, according to the RIA Novósti agency, Siluanov asked those attending the meeting "not to politicize" the dialogue so as not to damage confidence in the global economic and monetary system. (Reuters)
