Novak Djokovic’s household mentioned he was the sufferer of a “political agenda” in Australia as they rallied around the globe primary who was denied entry into the nation on Thursday for his Australian Open title defence. The 34-year-old Djokovic was granted a medical exemption from COVID-19 vaccination necessities to compete within the 12 months’s first main, however after a public outcry he was detained
Djokovic is now in a quarantine resort in Melbourne after his legal professionals secured an settlement for him to remain within the nation for a courtroom listening to on Monday wherein he hopes to overturn the federal authorities ban on his entry.”They’re conserving him in captivity.
They’re stomping throughout Novak to stomp throughout Serbia and Serbian individuals,” Djokovic’s father Srdjan advised reporters in Belgrade on Thursday.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison mentioned earlier within the day that Djokovic would obtain no particular remedy.”Morrison and his like have dared assault Novak to deliver Serbia to its knees.
Serbia has all the time proven that he comes from a proud nation,” Srdjan mentioned.”This has nothing to do with sports activities, this can be a political agenda. Novak is the perfect participant and the perfect athlete on the earth, however a number of hundred million individuals from the West can’t abdomen that,” he mentioned. Earlier within the day, Srdjan described his son to the Telegraf web site as “the Spartacus of the brand new world that doesn’t tolerate injustice, colonialism and hypocrisy.
“Djokovic’s mother Dijana described the situation as “scandalous”.
“They want to clip his wings, but we know how strong he is,” she mentioned. Djokovic’s household displayed the 9 Australian Open trophies he has gained on the venue of the information convention, including they’d organise a assist rally in entrance of Serbia’s parliament constructing within the metropolis centre.
Former mentor Niki Pilic, who oversaw Djokovic’s profession as a youngster, advised Reuters that the state of affairs was “farcical”, including: “Politics have interfered with sports here as it so often does.”The Australian Prime Minister was, he mentioned: “Trying to please a part of the country’s society and improve his poor political rating. Former Yugoslavia Davis Cup coach Radmilo Armenulic said Djokovic had been treated “like a felon.”
“They detained him under police presence. He was held in a room for eight hours after he was cleared to take part in the Australian Open by the medical panel,” Armenulic advised Reuters.
“This decision, in my opinion, reflects lawlessness and not the rule of law. They have treated Novak like a criminal and a villain to stop him from winning his 21st Grand Slam.”
