{"id":1194975,"date":"2022-01-06T18:04:32","date_gmt":"2022-01-06T23:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1194975"},"modified":"2022-01-06T18:04:59","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T23:04:59","slug":"australia-forces-tennis-champion-novak-djokovic-into-dingy-refugee-facility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/australia-forces-tennis-champion-novak-djokovic-into-dingy-refugee-facility\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia Forces Tennis Champion Novak Djokovic into Dingy Refugee Facility"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Faustralia-forces-tennis-champion-novak-djokovic-into-dingy-refugee-facility%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1194975&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\"><span>Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic sparked a major controversy in Australia when he tried to enter the country to play in the upcoming Australian Open using a medical exemption for coronavirus vaccination. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Reports indicate that Australian Open organizers granted an exemption, but Australia\u2019s Border Force revoked his visa when he arrived at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne on Wednesday. <\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>After a 12-hour standoff with the authorities, Djokovic was shuffled off to the infamous Park Hotel, an unpleasant Melbourne establishment the government uses to temporarily house detainees \u2013 and a major breeding ground for the Wuhan coronavirus.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19381314\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1237559272.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19381314\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1237559272.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"697\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Pro-refugee activists sit on an awning over the hotel entrance where Serbia\u2019s tennis player Novak Djokovic is reported to be staying along with detained refugees in Melbourne on January 6, 2022. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Djokovic, 34, is one of the world\u2019s best players and arguably among the all-time greats. If he wins one more Grand Slam title, he will set the men\u2019s tennis record for championship trophies.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>Djokovic was the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.actionnetwork.com\/tennis\/updated-australian-open-odds-after-novak-djokovic-visa-cancelled-australian-border-force\"><span>smart-money favorite<\/span><\/a><span> to win that 21st title in Melbourne in two weeks, but when he flew into town from Dubai on Wednesday, he was told his last-minute appeal to enter Australia without proof of Chinese coronavirus vaccination had been revoked.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19381306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1237560754.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19381306\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1237560754.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Members of the local Serbian community gather for a vigil outside a hotel where Serbia\u2019s tennis champion Novak Djokovic is reported to be staying in Melbourne on January 6, 2022. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Tennis Australia, the national governing body for the sport, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/news\/explainer-why-was-novak-djokovic-not-let-into-australia\/\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span> Djokovic\u2019s request for a medical exemption was \u201cgranted following a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts,\u201d although it did not specify the medical reasons for granting the waiver.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Australian Border Force rejected Djokovic\u2019s visa at the airport, beginning a 12-hour confrontation that soon involved high-ranking Australian officials, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/sport\/video\/2022\/jan\/05\/there-should-be-no-special-rules-for-novak-djokovic-says-australian-pm-scott-morrison-video\"><span>declared<\/span><\/a><span> Djokovic did not \u201cprovide acceptable proof that he cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIf that evidence is insufficient, then he won\u2019t be treated any different to anyone else and he\u2019ll be on the next plane home. There should be no special rules for Novak Djokovic at all. None whatsoever,\u201d Morrison said.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>Australian media <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theage.com.au\/politics\/federal\/border-force-investigating-other-australian-open-players-after-djokovic-ban-20220106-p59md5.html\"><span>reported<\/span><\/a><span> the reason Djokovic gave for desiring an exemption was that he contracted Chinese coronavirus last summer and recovered, giving him natural immunity. Morrison made remarks during his press conference that indicated this was the case. The Australian Border Force (ABF) is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-01-06\/border-force-investigate-more-medical-exemptions-novak-djokovic\/100742868\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span> to be reviewing at least two other recent vaccination exemptions granted on the same grounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Prime Minister Morrison and other administration officials noted the central government had final say about border admissions and could override waivers granted by provincial authorities.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>\u201cAny 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,\u201d said Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Part of Djokovic\u2019s problem appears to be that he tweeted about his waiver to enter Australia while he was in midair on the long flight from Dubai to Australia, prompting considerable public backlash against what appeared to be a special favor granted to a celebrity.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Morrison said as much on Thursday: \u201cWhen you get people making public statements of what they say they have. and what they are going to do. and what their claims are. they draw significant attention to themselves. Anyone who does that \u2013 whether they are a celebrity, a politician, a tennis player, a journalist, whoever does that \u2013 they can expect to be asked questions more than others.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<div id=\"attachment_19385810\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2022\/01\/wi\/ap\/06\/djokovic-serbia-tennis-serbia-novak-djokovic-signs-autographs-defeating-russia-daniil-medvedev.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19385810 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/djokovic-serbia-tennis-serbia-novak-djokovic-signs-autographs-defeating-russia-daniil-medvedev-1024x694-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Associated Press\" width=\"1024\" height=\"694\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Serbia\u2019s Novak Djokovic signs autographs after defeating Russia\u2019s Daniil Medvedev during the men\u2019s singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Feb. 21, 2021. (AP Photo\/Andy Brownbill)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>This candor might not have done Morrison and his government any favors, as it makes them look disorganized and prone to hairpin decision terms based on social media criticism. It certainly did not do the Australian government any favors with Serbians, who are beside themselves with outrage at Djokovic\u2019s treatment. Rallies were held for Djokovic in Belgrade on Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/serbian-president-denounces-political-witch-112711079.html\"><span>accused<\/span><\/a><span> the Australian government of conducting a \u201cpolitical witch hunt\u201d against Djokovic, and said Prime Minister Morrison was merely \u201cpretending that the rules apply to all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Vucic said the Australian ambassador to Serbia has been contacted, while Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic will reach out to Australian officials and ask if Novak can stay in the house he rented for the Australian Open until a final judgment is reached in his case.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Djokovic is currently <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/7news.com.au\/politics\/djokovic-moved-to-infamous-victorian-hotel-c-5205238\"><span>impounded<\/span><\/a><span> at the Park Hotel in Melbourne\u2019s Carlton district, a facility often used by the Australian government to hold detainees flown in from Australia\u2019s island refugee camps when they required medical care. According to refugee advocates, at least 32 detainees are still being held at the Park Hotel.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Both guests and staff describe the Park as a hotbed of coronavirus transmission. Detainees complained of finding mold and maggots in their food, two fires broke out on the upper floors within the past two weeks, and Djokovic claims he found \u201cbugs\u201d in his room. In a final indignity, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-10374553\/Maggot-riddled-food-Covid-outbreaks-refugees-hotel-Novak-Djokovic-held.html\"><span>UK <\/span><i><span>Daily Mail<\/span><\/i><\/a> <span>dryly noted the Park does not have a tennis court.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>These accommodations drove Serbian politicians and Djokovic\u2019s family to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canberratimes.com.au\/story\/7572862\/serbia-rallies-behind-spartacus-djokovic\/?cs=14686\"><span>heights of outrage<\/span><\/a><span>. A mixed crowd of Djokovic fans, Serbian emigres waving their national flag, and refugee advocates demonstrated outside the Park on Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Vucic called Djokovic incarceration at the Park \u201coverkill\u201d and sneered, \u201cWhen you can\u2019t defeat someone on the court, then you do such things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Djokovic\u2019s father Srdjan compared the oppression of the star tennis player to the suffering visited upon Spartacus and Jesus Christ by the Romans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThey\u2019re keeping him in captivity. They are trampling on Novak and thus they are trampling on Serbia and the Serbian people,\u201d Srdjan said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThis has nothing to do with sports, this is a political agenda. Novak is the best player and the best athlete in the world, but several hundred million people from the West can\u2019t stomach that,\u201d he charged.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Djokovic\u2019s former coaches denounced his treatment as \u201cfarcical\u201d efforts by Australian politicians to curry favor with their voters and said they were treating the visiting tennis player \u201clike a felon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThis 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,\u201d said former Yugoslavia Davis Cup coach Radmilo Armenulic.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic sparked a major controversy in Australia when he tried to enter the country to play in the upcoming Australian Open using a medical exemption for &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1194975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1194975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1194975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1194975\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1194975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1194975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1194975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}