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‘Rules are rules’: Australia refuses entry Novak Djokovic | Tennis News

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Authorities say the tennis champion “did not provide adequate evidence to meet the entry requirements” amid the COVID pandemic.

Australia has canceled Novak DjokovicVisa and the first male tennis player was denied entry, the country’s border agency reported on Thursday, saying the athlete “did not provide adequate evidence” to meet the entry requirements.

Djokovic, who is from Serbia, said earlier that he had succeeded medical exception To play in the Australian Open Championship, which comes from the vaccine against COVID-19.

But in a statement on Thursday, the Australian Border Force (ABF) said “Mr Djokovic has not provided adequate evidence to meet the conditions for entry into Australia, and his visa has been revoked”.

Djokovic was taken from Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport to the Park Hotel, where he is being held in a government detention center known for holding refugees. He is expected to leave by plane later on Thursday, although Djokovic’s lawyers will file an appeal against the decision.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that Djokovic’s visa has been revoked on social media.

“Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our boundaries. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been instrumental in ensuring that Australia has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world as a result of COVID, so we remain vigilant, ”he said on Twitter.

A single Serbian fan is waiting for the arrival of Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Airport. The nine-time Australian Open winner has been denied entry to Australia and is expected to be eliminated on Thursday. [Loren Elliott/Reuters]

Australia has imposed strict measures to combat COVID-19, including a full vaccination application, with exceptions medical reasons, for people entering the country from abroad.

The people of Melbourne have been subjected to a long and severe blockade in 2020 to bring their cases under control, and they are now concerned about the rise in cases where the Omicron variant is more transmissible.

There were many angry the unvaccinated player was given a visa to play in a nine-time Grand Slam tournament, and the outcry prompted Morrison to promise to oust Djokovic if he did not accept enough proof.

“Novak should not have any special rules for Djokovic. Not at all, “the prime minister said at a news conference on Wednesday.

In a dramatic series of nightly incidents in Melbourne, Djokovic landed at Tullamarine Airport on Wednesday at around 11:30 pm (12:30 GMT) after a 14-hour flight from Dubai, but was taken to a solitary confinement room under police orders. when Australian guard officials said his visa did not allow medical exemptions.

A few hours after they arrived, player Goran Ivanisevic’s coach shared a photo on his Instagram account with a comment and a bunch of emoji: “It’s not the most common Down Under trip.”

Djokovic’s case sparked confusion when the state government of Victoria, the capital of Melbourne, said it would not accept his visa application.

Interior Minister Karen Andrews clarified the process on Wednesday.

“While the Victorian government and Tennis Australia may allow a player without a vaccine to compete in the Australian Open, it is the Commonwealth government that will meet our requirements on the Australian border,” Andrews said. “If a person who has arrived is not vaccinated, he or she must provide acceptable proof that he or she is unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons so that he or she can fully access the same travel arrangements as vaccinated passengers.”

The Australian government threatens to launch a diplomatic incident between Canberra and Belgrade.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has expressed his support for Djokovic.

“Our Novak told me that the whole of Serbia is with him and that our bodies are doing everything they can to put an end to the persecution of the best tennis player in the world,” Vucic said on Wednesday.

Vucic called the Australian ambassador to Belgrade and demanded that Djokovic be released immediately to act, Serbian media reported.



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