Sports World

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Controversial Indian Wells boss
Raymond Moore resigned his post on Tuesday in the wake of sparking a
sexism controversy, the tournament said.
Moore put his foot in it when he said that women players rode "on the
coattails of the men" and were "very, very lucky" to have equal prize
money thanks to the massive popularity of men's stars Roger Federer
and Novak Djokovic.
"If I was a lady player, I'd go down every night on my knees and
thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born, because they
have carried this sport."
Tournament owner Larry Ellison accepted the resignation of the South
African.
"Ray let me know that he has decided to step down from his roles as
CEO and Tournament Director effective immediately. I fully understand
his decision," he said.
"Nearly half a century ago, Billie Jean King began her historic
campaign for the equal treatment of women in tennis. What followed is
an ongoing, multi-generational, progressive movement to treat women
and men in sports equally. Thanks to the leadership of Billie Jean,
Martina Navratilova, Venus Williams, Serena Williams and so many
other great women athletes, an important measure of success has
already been achieved.

"I'm proud to say that it is now a decade long tradition at our
tournament at Indian Wells, and all the major tennis tournaments, to
pay equal prize money to both the women and the men."
"I would like to personally thank all the great women athletes who
fought so hard for so many years in the pursuit of equal prize money
in professional tennis. And I'd like to congratulate them on their
success. All of us here at the BNP Paribas Open promise to continue
working with everyone to make tennis a better sport for everybody,"
Ellison said.
Forces on the women's side jumped on Moore for what he admitted was a
pathetic attempt at humour. He issued an apology only hours after his
original criticism hit the internet.
Moore received a public slap from the ATP as the sanctioning men's
tennis body issued a statement condemning his remarks made on the
last day of his event during a breakfast with media.