ONE great thing about sport is that it brings people together.

Whether locally or globally, sport unites people of different backgrounds, bonding those of different nationalities and cultures.

So how does it help any path towards a better world for the organisers of Wimbledon to make the decision to ban Russian and Belarusian tennis players due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?

Unlike in the Olympics, the Davis Cup or Billie Jean King Cup, these players are not playing for their country, but as individuals. When Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty won Wimbledon last year, it was not seen as Serbia and Australia having lifted the trophies. While anyone with an interest in tennis will know a player’s nationality and players do enter under their national flag, it is not the focus, and - aside from audience members waving displaying their allegiance - is not displayed on court.

The player who is taking part is the focus. To penalise them for the country of their birth is totally wrong.

Neither should these players feel they have to publicly renounce what is taking place in Ukraine. Criticism of the government in both Russia and Belarus is met with harsh punishments. It is not easy for its citizens, even those living abroad, to speak out about their country’s regime, particularly if they have family still living there.

Despite this, a number of Russian tennis players have made efforts to express their views. After advancing to the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships, world number eight Andrey Rublev, wrote ‘No War Please’ on the lens of a TV camera.

And at Indian Wells in California, tennis star Anna Kalinskaya sent a powerful message by opting to wear trainers with the words ‘no war’ on them.

Speaking out against the Wimbledon ban, Rublev - who last Sunday beat Novak Djokovic to win the Serbia Open - suggested that players should be allowed to decide whether to participate, and that the entire prize money could be donated to humanitarian aid “to families who are suffering, to children”. A far better way forward, surely?

Since the war began, players from Russia and Belarus have entered tournaments under a neutral flag - Wimbledon could adopt that policy.

As the first tournament venue to impose a ban, it sets a dangerous precedent.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is hideous, cruel and unacceptable, but it does not mean everyone born in those countries should be ostracised. If an individual commits a heinous crime we do not, as a society, shun their family.

If, throughout the history of the tournament, Wimbledon organisers had excluded players from countries - including the UK - which have invaded others and committed atrocities, sometimes without justifiable reason, there would be very few, if any, players left on court.

To ban these players can only stir up discrimination and ill-feeling against ordinary Russian and Belarusian people living overseas, most of whom I am sure will be as shocked and appalled by the scenes unfolding in Ukraine as everyone else. We all want to see an end to the war, but this is not the way to go.

People watch Wimbledon to see outstanding tennis from the top players in the world. To exclude a sizeable number of them - including world number two Daniil Medvedev - through no fault of their own, would have a detrimental effect upon the tournament.

Several newspapers have claimed that the prospect of a member of the Royal family handing over the trophy to a Russian or Belarusian player was behind the decision by Wimbledon.

If that is true, then shame on them. I would rather see fairness on display than any Royal muttering pleasantries. The simple and easy solution is to get someone else to step in to hand over the prizes.

However abhorrent and unjust the war is, decisions like this will not do anything at all to help the situation.