Very sad. If this were an Arab or an African, there would be an outcry.

Peer.jpgThe United Arab Emirates has refused to grant a visa to a female
Israeli tennis player, preventing her from competing in the Sony
Ericsson World Tennis Association Tour in Dubai, the WTA said in a
statement Sunday.

Shahar Peer would have been the first Israeli
athlete to participate in a professional sporting event in the UAE, CNN
Sports Correspondent Pedro Pinto said.

The UAE has no diplomatic ties with Israel.

The
governing body of women’s tennis said it was “deeply disappointed” that
Peer was being denied entry to the country hosting the tournament, but
it did not cancel the competition.

The move runs counter to WTA
policy, which says no player should be barred from competing in a
tournament for which she has qualified.

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