I would imagine it's rather similar to the reasoning for Twitter, etc. banning people; it's a private company/club so they can decide who they invite to use their service/play their tournament.
Even a few seconds of Wimbledon is enough to make me homicidal and want to sweep through the stands with a flamethrower. Just thinking about it while typing this is making me clench fists.
This makes them look pretty pathetic though. Funny how sport and politics can't mix when it's, oh I don't know, Cricketers going to apartheid South Africa, or Celtic fans waving Palestinian flags, but when it's rich plummy ####s banning Russians because of their government, that's just dandy. The glaring hypocrisy of the "rules based order" is so massive that people who've never thought about it before must surely start to wonder....no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party...So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.
Can't help noticing the silence of those opposed to the BDS movement because it's 'discriminatory'
Raskolnikov, thanks for your reply. I agree that Wimbledon's actions in banning Russian and Belorussian players is pathetic - the west has truly lost its marbles. I do wonder whether what has been done would withstand a legal challenge. My understanding of the law - a bit ropey - is that while private clubs can 'discriminate' around protected characteristics, it's not a defence to blatant discrimination on the grounds of those protected characteristics. So, for example, a woman's gardening club can legally exclude men but it would likely face a legal challenge if it sort to exclude, say, women from black and ethnic minorities or disabled women.
It's been established in case law that 'race' includes ethnicity so the exclusion of athletes simply for being from Russia seems, at least to me, as clearly unlawful.
In addition to the points you make above, I'd also note the total silence of those opposed to the BDS movement. You know, the ones who shout loudly about how wrong it is to hold Individual Israelis responsible for the actions of their government. How it's anti-semitic, cruel and discriminatory to deny Israelis access to anything they want or need to access based on what their government does or the fact they are Israelis.
Re: Can't help noticing the silence of those opposed to the BDS movement because it's 'discriminatory'
Here's a link to a fraudian article about it. Not read all of it but this little nugget leapt out:
Wimbledon’s decision came after the UK government had initially floated the idea that the All England Club could require Russian players to sign a document condemning the Russian leader Vladimir Putin if they wanted to play. However, that idea was rejected as unworkable, with Wimbledon fearing it could place the families of Russian players in harm’s way, as well as creating a dangerous precedent.
Loyalty pledges for all! Hoorah!
Also, excellent point about the anti-BDS crowd. We can't seem to ban Israel from massacring civilians, just imagine if someone tried to ban them from something important like a sporting event!...no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party...So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.
on April 21, 2022, 9:06 am