Shahar Peer, the 20-year-old from Jerusalem who has ignored an unofficial boycott that has kept Israeli players from competing in the Gulf states, was to make diplomatic history when she stepped on court at the US$2.5 million Qatar Open yesterday.
The 12th-seeded Peer's first round match against Francesca Schiavone, the world No. 23 from Italy, would normally attract no more than a couple of hundred spectators and a handful of lines in the local papers.
Instead Peer has created a sensation.
Peer has suddenly acquired a global focus, received round-the-clock security, and apparently been given a promise that she would be treated "like the Emir's wife."
"I'm here to play tennis," she said. "But if this opens up a window for the younger generation, with Arabs and Israelis working together for peace, I'd be happy."
There is probably more to it than a worthy desire by an individual to contribute something to world peace.
Israel and Qatar have no diplomatic ties, which raises the question as to how and why this is happening now.
The emirate is bidding for the 2016 Olympics, about which a decision will be made next year. So this is a perfectly timed way of trying to suggest that politics won't tarnish any Games which come to the Middle East.
Qatar is said to be one of several moderate Arab states trying to broker peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
"We'd love to open an embassy there," the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Amira Oron has been quoted as saying. "But for now, it's impossible."
Peer apparently wanted to compete in Qatar before, but was doing her military service and Israel bans its soldiers from visiting Arab countries.
Despite this, Peer is one of the few players on the women's circuit who speaks some Arabic, which she studied briefly in school.
Religious prejudice doesn't seem to be part of her make-up.
In the past she has played doubles with India's Sania Mirza, a Muslim whose cosmopolitan attitudes have upset some Islamic clerics and who has since decided it is impossible to compete in her home country.
Peer has so far found the situation far less extreme.
"She's an entry. She's a good player. It's a normal situation, and it gets a normal reaction from us," tournament director Ayman Azmy said.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that