Australia barely allows foreigners to enter its territory and the few with permits must present proof of full vaccination or a medical exemption.
Novak Djokovic thanked in an internet message for the support that “worldwide” has been receiving in the last hours after being in a detention center in Melbourne, waiting to find out if he can enter Australia or should he return home.
“Thanks to my family, my friends, Serbia, and all good people around the world who send me their support. Thank God for health, ”he wrote in a message in Serbian.
That support, “I can feel it and it is greatly appreciated,” he also writes in English.
The world number one tennis player also wishes a Merry Christmas to the Orthodox, after waking up for the second time on Friday in a detention center in Melbourne, where he begins on January 17 the Open de Australia, first tournament of the Grand Slam the 2022.
The tennis player was awaiting expulsion after the cancellation of his entry visa in Australia, on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, since he did not comply with the strict conditions of entry into the territory, imposed in the framework of the fight against COVOD -19.
Since Djokovic was imprisoned, the tennis player’s supporters and others who sympathize with his position have spoken out publicly, in Melbourne but especially in Serbia, where the tennis player is a national idol.
“What this man is living is a shame“Dusan Stojic, a 67-year-old retiree who attended a rally in support of the tennis player in front of the Serbian Parliament, told AFP before crying.
Novak’s father, Srdjan Djokovic, summoned his son’s followers to protests in Belgrade for another day.
“My son has been in prison for three days. He is the best athlete in the world. He has not contravened any law of that country, “he told the press.
The tennis player will not be expelled before Monday, the date of a new hearing before a Melbourne judge.
Braving the rain, 50 people – including tennis fans, anti-vaccine protesters and migrant rights advocates – gathered on this Orthodox Christmas day outside the detention center in Melbourne.
“We have come to support you because it is our Christmas, and he’s having a hard time, “said Sash Aleksic, in front of the facilities.
However, not all the protesters were followers of Djokovic. “Refugees are welcome, Djokovic is not,” chanted a group, until the police intervened to separate him from the followers of the Serbian star.
The retention center, located in the former Park Hotel, houses 32 refugees and asylum seekers, trapped in the strict Australian migration system.
The Serbian tennis player is believed to be among them, but border authorities have refused to say where Djokovic is being held.
Ten days before the start of the tournament (January 17-30), It is anyone’s guess if the Serbian will be able to seek his tenth victory en Melbourne, the fourth in a row, and beat the record of 21 Grand Slams that he shares with Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.
Delay expulsion
The visa of Djokovic, who has been skeptical of the anticovid vaccination and does not want to reveal if he has received the injection, was canceled on Wednesday for not meeting the health requirements to cross the Australian border.
Australia barely allows foreigners to enter its territory and the few with permission must present proof of a full vaccination or a medical exemption.
The Serbian had obtained a medical waiver from the competition organizers, but his requirements are subtly different. For example, a recent covid infection allows the tournament to be played but this condition does not guarantee access to the country.
On Friday, Australian Home Secretary Karen Andrews denied that Djokovic was being held and revealed that other two people from the tournament delegation were being investigated, without specifying if they were players or technicians.
Free to go
“Djokovic is not captive in Australia. You are free to leave at any time you choose and the border force will facilitate it, “he said.
But the case has put the government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison in trouble, questioned about the management of this incident a few months before the federal elections in May.
Many Australians see this controversy as a distraction as the balance of infections exceeds 70,000 a day, after almost two years with hardly any infections.
“This occurs as we face a major omicron crisis and this is going well for the government, ”Chris Moy, vice president of the Australian Medical Association, told AFP on Friday. (C)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
