Ukraine calls Wimbledon’s decision to lift Russian and Belarusian players’ ban ‘immoral’
Ukraine’s foreign minister has branded Wimbledon’s decision to allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete as “immoral”.
Dmytro Kuleba urged the UK to deny the athletes visas to enter the country.
“Has Russia ceased its aggression or atrocities? No, it’s just that Wimbledon decided to accommodate two accomplices in crime,” said Mr Kuleba in a statement.
Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to compete at Wimbledon in the summer after the All England Club reversed the ban it imposed last year.
Athletes from the two countries must sign declarations of neutrality and not express support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in order to compete.
Players who receive funding from the Russian or Belarusian states, including sponsorship from state-owned or controlled companies, will remain barred.
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The same conditions will apply for the other British grass-court tournaments including Queen’s in west Kensington, London.
The move reverses the decision made by the All England Club and Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) 12 months ago. The two governing bodies were heavily penalised as a result, with Wimbledon stripped of its world ranking points, meaning Wimbledon was essentially rendered an exhibition event, with players unable to earn the ranking points they do at all other official tournaments.
Meanwhile, the Lawn Tennis Association was handed a seven-figure fine and threatened with losing its tournaments.
Ian Hewitt, chairman of the All England Club, said of the move to lift the ban: “We continue to condemn totally Russia’s illegal invasion and our wholehearted support remains with the people of Ukraine.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, not taken lightly or without a great deal of consideration for those who will be impacted. It is our view that, considering all factors, these are the most appropriate arrangements for the Championships for this year.
“We are thankful for the government’s support as we and our fellow tennis stakeholder bodies have navigated this complex matter and agreed on conditions we believe are workable.
“If circumstances change materially between now and the commencement of the Championships, we will consider and respond accordingly.”
The threat of further sanctions against the British game was undoubtedly a major factor in the U-turn, with an LTA statement saying: “The effect on British tennis of the LTA being expelled from the tours would be very damaging and far reaching for the game in our country.
“The impact would be felt by the millions of fans that follow the sport, the grass roots of the game, including coaches and venues which rely on the events for visibility and to bring new players into the game, and of course professional British players.”
Both governing bodies reiterated their disappointment with tennis’ reaction to last year’s ban, and Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton said: “We absolutely stand by the decision that we took last year in the circumstances we found ourselves in.”
The tournament organisers have also updated their conditions of entry to specifically bar Russian and Belarusian flags and symbols.
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Players and their support staff will not have to expressly condemn the Russian or Belarusian authorities but must declare they are not using the tournaments as a way of supporting those governments.
The prospect of a winner from one of the two countries at Wimbledon is fairly high, with Belarusian player Aryna Sabalenka a strong performer on grass, while Russian star Daniil Medvedev has won more matches than any other player on the men’s tour so far this season.
The ATP and WTA welcomed the decision, saying in a joint statement: “We are pleased that all players will have an opportunity to compete at Wimbledon and LTA events this summer.
“It has taken a collaborative effort across the sport to arrive at a workable solution which protects the fairness of the game.”
There has also now been a year of players from the two countries competing around the world under a neutral flag without any instances of overt support for the conflict.
Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
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Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
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