HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Thailand, the world group for the Davis Cup between Canada and Israel, will be performing at a venue closed without fans this weekend due to safety concerns, Tennis Canada said Tuesday.
The organisation said the decision was made in consultation with the International Tennis Federation due to a “escalation of safety concerns” flagged by local governments and national security agencies.
It also came after more than 400 Canadian athletes and academics, including Olympic runner Moahmed, urged Tennis Canada to cancel Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
Tennis Canada CEO Gavin Ziv called the result “very disappointing,” but said the safety of athletes, fans and staff has earned its top priority.
“At the heart of this difficult decision, it’s the responsibility to protect people while ensuring that this Davis Cup tie is still being made,” Ziv said. “We were forced to conclude that playing behind closed doors was the only way to protect those involved and the event itself.”
The ties, which will be played on Friday and Saturday, were initially scheduled to be performed at the Scottia Bank Centre. According to Tennis Canada, fans who purchase tickets will receive a full refund within 30 days.
“Around 1,500 tickets are refunded per day,” a Tennis Canada spokesperson said. “We still value the financial impact of this decision, if not for profit, but it is clear that it will result in a significant loss in revenue for us.
“But our priorities are always the safety of people first and remain the first thing to do. Playing closed rooms is the only responsible option that allows us to move our tie forward while eliminating this risk.”
Additionally, the venue does not allow media because all players’ availability is virtually hosted.
Halifax Regional Police did not say whether the threat was directed at Israeli teams, but said officers would be present at the event.
The Israeli and Jewish Issues Center said it was disappointing that the event had to be shut down to fans.
“Cheering for Team Canada is part of what it means to be Canadian. But a small group of extremists hijacked the Davis Cup and silenced thousands of fans — many of which traveled from afar — they simply wanted to show pride in their country,” Cija said in a statement.
“The decision has been made to protect Canadians in the face of serious tennis Canada’s threats. It is unacceptable that hatred, harassment and intimidation is not safe to support athletes in our country.”