Demand for Apology: South African Tennis Player Blocked from Wimbledon Seeks Recognition and Justice.
Hoosen Bobat, a prominent South African tennis player, is seeking a public apology from Wimbledon organizers and the sport’s international governing body for an incident that occurred in the 1970s. Despite qualifying for the junior tournament in 1971, Bobat’s invitation was unexpectedly revoked just one week before the event.
Reflecting on the incident, Bobat expressed his disappointment, saying, “After years of dedicated training, I had the incredible opportunity to compete on the world’s grandest stage. When my entry was accepted, it brought immense joy to black players in Africa… It could have been the gateway to my future tennis career.”
Bobat firmly believes that the real reason behind his exclusion was racism. During that era, the British government still supported the apartheid regime, despite growing international opposition. In South Africa, non-white players were prohibited from playing against their white counterparts, and matches at all-white tennis centers were segregated, with non-white spectators confined to caged sections.
This week, two British Members of Parliament, Peter Hain and Jeremy Corbyn, both anti-apartheid activists, raised the issue in parliament and expressed their support for Mr. Bobat’s demand for an apology.
In response to the situation, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), which organizes Wimbledon, and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the sport’s governing body, have stated that they are currently reviewing the information provided.
Mr. Bobat emphasizes that there is still a long way to go in advancing tennis in South Africa, stating, “Even today, not much has changed. The number of black tennis players—Indians, coloreds, and blacks—is still lower than it was back then.”
