NPR

Grandpa wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 9:30 pm Next time she plays she will have a coach.

Australians have reacted angrily to news that tennis player Novak Djokovic will play in the Australian Open, after being exempted from vaccination rules.
All players and staff at the tournament must be vaccinated or have an exemption granted by an expert independent panel.
Djokovic has not spoken about his vaccination status, but last year said he was "opposed to vaccination".

Many Australians had previously accused the government of allowing the rich and famous to do as they please while ordinary people remained separated from sick and dying loved ones.

Novak Djokovic: Tennis star's father claims his son 'held captive' as entry delayed into Australia
Paul Sakkal
09:44, Jan 06 2022

Novak Djokovic’s father claims Australian authorities were “holding my son captive for five hours’' and demanded the world number one be allowed to enter Melbourne for the Australian Open.

Djokovic’s entry into Australia was in limbo early Thursday morning due to concerns over evidence supporting his vaccine exemption, as well as a potentially erroneous visa application.

The Victorian government claimed that it rejected a late-night request to sponsor the world No. 1’s visa hours before he landed in Melbourne about 11.30pm.

Australia’s 7 Sunrise television news programme reported on Thursday that Djokovic’s father, Srdjan, released a statement to Serbian media demanding his son’s release.

“I have no idea what’s going on, they’re holding my son captive for five hours," the reported statement said. “This is a fight for the libertarian world, not just a fight for Novak, but a fight for the whole world! If they don’t let him go in half an hour, we will gather on the street, this is a fight for everyone.”

The Victorian government claimed that it rejected a late-night request to sponsor the world No. 1’s visa hours before he landed in Melbourne about 11.30pm.

The 20-time grand slam winner, who was granted an exemption to play in this month’s Australian Open, was being quizzed by Australian Border Force officials in a room at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport until at least 1.15am.

A federal government source familiar with the episode said there were question marks about whether Djokovic had adequate documentation to prove the reason for his exemption. This evidence is required to be presented at the border by unvaccinated people.

The source said it was not clear whether a Covid-19 infection in the past six months - which is suspected to be the justification for the player’s exemption – was sufficient to secure entry into Australia under federal guidelines.

In a separate issue that complicated his arrival, acting Victorian Sports Minister Jaala Pulford said Australian Border Force officials contacted the state government hours before Djokovic landed.

The 20-time grand slam winner was attempting to enter the country on a visa that did not permit medical exemptions for being unvaccinated, a source briefed on the matter told The Age and the Herald.

As a result, Pulford said Border Force sought Victorian government support to facilitate Djokovic’s entry. The federal agency asked for the Andrews government’s support because Victoria partners with Tennis Australia in running the event that Djokovic’s visa pertains to. Victorian officials asked the federal authorities to put their request in writing and Pulford said the request to sponsor Djokovic’s visa was rejected.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, a spokeswoman for Border Force rejected Pulford’s claims.

“ABF did not request Victorian government support a visa. ABF reached [out] to the Victorian government to validate their public statements about their support for his entry, and whether Victoria had further information related to his medical exemption documentation,” she said.

The Victorian government’s stance on Djokovic’s visa reflects the anger towards Djokovic among Victorian ministers and senior officials. It also highlights their sensitivity to being seen to assist Djokovic’s bid to play at the Open despite his outspoken vaccine scepticism and non-disclosure of the reason for his exemption.

Border Force officials have the discretion to allow Djokovic into the country despite the Victorian government move.

Acting Sports Minister Jaala Pulford sent a late-night tweet confirming that the Victorian government would not be supporting Djokovic’s visa application.

“The federal government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic’s visa application to enter Australia. We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam,” the tweet said.

Pulford went on to say: “We’ve always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for the federal government, and medical exemptions are a matter for doctors.”

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said earlier on Wednesday in a statement that “any individual seeking to enter Australia must comply with our strict border requirements”.

“While the Victorian government and Tennis Australia may permit a non-vaccinated player to compete in the Australian Open, it is the Commonwealth government that will enforce our requirements at the Australian border,” she said.

Also earlier on Wednesday, the Victorian government and Tennis Australia told Djokovic to explain to the public why he was granted a medical exemption to enter the country without proving his vaccination status.

Tennis Australia confirmed on Wednesday that most of the exemption applications made by players or officials came from individuals who had been infected with coronavirus in the past six months.

The nine-time Australian Open-winning Serbian will become the all-time greatest grand slam winner if he wins at Melbourne Park.
Three high-level sources briefed on Djokovic’s situation, who spoke anonymously because the matter was confidential, said they believed it was highly probable that the exemption was granted for that reason.

Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley, who speaks to Djokovic regularly, informed senior government ministers that Djokovic had not told him why he was eligible for an exemption.

Speaking after a national cabinet meeting on Wednesday afternoon, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Serbian “must provide acceptable proof that he cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons”.

“If that evidence is insufficient, then he won’t be treated any different to anyone else and will be on the next plane home – there should be no special rules for Novak Djokovic,” he said.

Morrison said the decision had been a “matter for the Victorian government”.

“They have provided him with an exemption to come to Australia, and so we then act in accordance with that decision,” he said.

“States provide exemptions for people to enter ... and that’s been happening for the last two years.”

The nine-time Australian Open-winning Serbian, who will become the all-time greatest grand slam winner if he wins at Melbourne Park, revealed via social media on Tuesday night that he had successfully obtained a medical exemption to enter Victoria and posted a photograph of himself at the airport.

News of his exemption was met with widespread public anger, with social media, talkback radio and letters to the editor inundated with criticism of the player, who has refused to publicly disclose his vaccination status throughout the pandemic, and the process by which he was exempted from quarantine.

Two sources said the medical panels that reviewed Djokovic’s application – one created by Tennis Australia and the other by the Victorian Health Department – were unanimous in their conclusions.

Djokovic is among “a handful” of players and officials exempted from being vaccinated against Covid-19 at the upcoming tournament. Tennis Australia said 26 applications had been made for medical exemptions, with the number of those granted not revealed.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisations issued guidelines in November on the circumstances for a temporary exemption, including stipulating that vaccination can be deferred for a “PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection” in the past six months.

Personal information was redacted when applications were assessed by two independent medical panels, but Tennis Australia’s chief medical officer Carolyn Broderick said on Wednesday that neither her organisation nor government expert panels had tested the veracity of documents provided in applications.

She said any members of the review panels in Australia would not have had direct contact with doctors overseas.

Additional reporting Stuff

Sydney Morning Herald

Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 9:23 pm Yeah, just seeing multiple reports that his visa has been cancelled and he'll be on the next flight out of there

Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 10:03 pm Him getting turned away at the border is so much funnier than if they had said a flat no.

This aussie reporter is working hard to stop from pissing himself laughing

fishfoodie wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 10:13 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 10:03 pm Him getting turned away at the border is so much funnier than if they had said a flat no.

This aussie reporter is working hard to stop from pissing himself laughing

+1

Well done Oz .

Booooo to whoever offered the dick dead an exemption; but, kudos to whoever pissed all over his cornflakes !

Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 10:30 pm Looking forward to the next season of Border Force Australia.

Gumboot wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 10:58 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 10:30 pm Looking forward to the next season of Border Force Australia.

Glad they kicked his arrogant anti-vax arse to touch.

sefton wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 9:46 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 9:23 pm Yeah, just seeing multiple reports that his visa has been cancelled and he'll be on the next flight out of there

A bit of good news, he’s a narcissistic twat.

"This is not just a fight for Novak, but a fight for the whole world,"

handyman wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 7:29 am Is Novak's dad his manager? Why is he so involved? Surely Novak can fight his own battles.

Kiwias wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 7:36 am

handyman wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 7:29 am Is Novak's dad his manager? Why is he so involved? Surely Novak can fight his own battles.

I'd be embarrassed if my dad was spouting stuff like that in my support when I was 30 or so.

fishfoodie wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 10:18 pm

fishfoodie wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 10:13 pm

Biffer wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 10:03 pm Him getting turned away at the border is so much funnier than if they had said a flat no.

This aussie reporter is working hard to stop from pissing himself laughing

+1

Well done Oz .

Booooo to whoever offered the dick dead an exemption; but, kudos to whoever pissed all over his cornflakes !

[Edit] Isn't this the same shower of fucking Politicians who threatened to kill some innocent dogs; because their owners were arseholes' but when dealing with a human; don't have the balls to stand by their official policies ?

Blackmac wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:19 am Pretty disgraceful screw up on behalf of the Australians but this couldn't happen to nicer man. Glad to see that he is getting taught that his bullshit has consequences.

Uncle fester wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 2:09 pm

Blackmac wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:19 am Pretty disgraceful screw up on behalf of the Australians but this couldn't happen to nicer man. Glad to see that he is getting taught that his bullshit has consequences.

My understanding is that he tried to bluff Tennis Australia with his "exemption" and assumed he'd sail through the airport but immigration asked for actual proof for the basis of his exemption.

I understand there's other players with genuine exemptions and they will be playing in the open.

If that's the case, then he has nobody to blame but himself.

Blackmac wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 2:16 pm

Uncle fester wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 2:09 pm

Blackmac wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:19 am Pretty disgraceful screw up on behalf of the Australians but this couldn't happen to nicer man. Glad to see that he is getting taught that his bullshit has consequences.

My understanding is that he tried to bluff Tennis Australia with his "exemption" and assumed he'd sail through the airport but immigration asked for actual proof for the basis of his exemption.

I understand there's other players with genuine exemptions and they will be playing in the open.

If that's the case, then he has nobody to blame but himself.

I agree that Novak and his team are ultimately at fault but also think the fact that TA could be bluffed and didn't have a strict understanding of what the immigration requirements are is bizarre.

Uncle fester wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 2:09 pm

Blackmac wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:19 am Pretty disgraceful screw up on behalf of the Australians but this couldn't happen to nicer man. Glad to see that he is getting taught that his bullshit has consequences.

My understanding is that he tried to bluff Tennis Australia with his "exemption" and assumed he'd sail through the airport but immigration asked for actual proof for the basis of his exemption.

I understand there's other players with genuine exemptions and they will be playing in the open.

If that's the case, then he has nobody to blame but himself.

sturginho wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 4:31 pm

Ymx wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 6:44 pm So was he granted a visa before he left or not?

Whilst it’s hilarious to see what’s happened, wasn’t it all cleared before he flew to get him the visa?

It sounds like he had a visa and then it was subsequently cancelled?

Ymx wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 7:13 pm Reading PR on it and my eyes are bleeding.