“Exemption of Novak Djokovic is because the Australian Open will receive more money with him and not with us,” suggests an Indian tennis coach prevented from participating due to lack of vaccines | Other Sports | sports

The coach of Indian tennis player Aman Dahiya, who is 17 years old and who could not be inoculated against the coronavirus because the vaccination of those under 18 was closed until this week, denounced this Wednesday the difference in treatment due to the medical exemption to Novak Djokovic to enter Australia.

“If they can give an exemption to Djokovic, they should understand that we are sincere people and that our country did not start the vaccination (campaign),” he lamented. Efe coach Jignesh Rawal.

Djokovic, who is not vaccinated against covid, announced on Tuesday that he will defend his Australian Open title in Melbourne, between January 17 and 30, after receiving a medical exemption that has caused outrage in the country.

“They clearly told us by email that we can’t go, and the other person (Djokovic) can, I think, because they will receive money from the media as well as from broadcasting rights and many other places. Djokovic will raise money in the Open of Australia and we will not ”, settled the trainer.

Rawal explained to Efe who applied for a visa for Dahiya, number 78 in the world in the ranking Junior, last November after receiving the invitation letter from the Australian Open.

However, the visa was suspended as the player was not vaccinated.

The Asian country did not open the inoculation campaign against the coronavirus to young people between 15 and 18 years old until last Monday, and the team even considered flying to a third country to receive the vaccine.

“We started looking in Middle Eastern countries like the United Arab Emirates or Qatar … We looked everywhere for a vaccine,” Rawal said, but without success.

Although Dahiya could now receive the first dose, Australian authorities require the full guideline, something impossible since India requires a margin of at least 28 days between both doses.

“Rules should be for everyone”, Lamented the coach, who hopes that Dahiya can receive the two vaccines soon and travel to France to play Roland Garros.

The vaccine is mandatory to enter Australia, but there are temporary exemptions for people who have “a serious medical condition”, who cannot be vaccinated because they have contracted COVID in the previous six months or have had an adverse reaction to the drug, among others reasons.

So far the reasons behind this exemption granted to Djokovic in Australia are unknown., although the Australian Interior Minister, Karen Andrews, said today that it will have to be justified. (D)