C19 and Tennis

[ti-amie]

Apparently this is a well-respected journalist...

If that happens the ATP will have to do something.

[ti-amie]

Did we post this?

Jan 10 2022
ATP Staff

ATP issues a statement following Melbourne court hearing

The ATP fully respects the sacrifices the people of Australia have made since the onset of COVID-19 and the stringent immigration policies that have been put in place. Complications in recent days related to player entry into Australia have however highlighted the need for clearer understanding, communication and application of the rules.

In travelling to Melbourne, it’s clear Novak Djokovic believed he had been granted a necessary medical exemption in order to comply with entry regulations. The series of events leading to Monday’s court hearing have been damaging on all fronts, including for Novak's well-being and preparation for the Australian Open. Player medical exemption requests are made independently of ATP, however we have been in constant contact with Tennis Australia to seek clarity throughout this process. We welcome the outcome of Monday’s hearing and look forward to an exciting few weeks of tennis ahead.

More broadly, ATP continues to strongly recommend vaccination for all players on the ATP Tour, which we believe is essential for our sport to navigate the pandemic. This is based on scientific evidence supporting the health benefits provided and to comply with global travel regulations, which we anticipate will become stricter over time. We are encouraged that 97 per cent of the Top 100 players are vaccinated leading into this year’s Australian Open.

[JazzNU]

And I forgot to mention it before, but if you're not on social media. I'm not saying people were loving Novak thru all of this outside of his seriously obnoxious diehards, they were not, they were highly critical and angry with him. But the maskless photo taken with the kids absolutely turned the tides against him in particular. People are DONE with him for that one. And him now claiming to have not known that he was positive at that point has done little to appease those upset with him about it, just about everyone has said they think he's lying but even so it remains reckless to know you were around close contact, got tested and were awaiting the results and still put those children at risk, especially maskless. Absolutely done with him after that part, even if they were willing to forgive the rest, the kids are proving to be a major stumbling block in all of this.

[MJ2004]

His team clearly never expected the test date to be made public. Or even that he had a test, since medical exemption data is usually kept confidential and would have remained that way except for the visa kerfuffle.

If they were smart, they would have kept him in isolation for ten days after the supposed test. Or maybe they even came up with the date retroactively, since nobody with any sense actually believes there was a positive test.

And yes, the picture with the kids is cringeworthy and has put him between a rock (false test=lying and suspension-worthy behavior) and a hard place (positive test=irresponsible, reckless, and criminal behavior).

[MJ2004]

I came across this on Twitter. I would normally agree, except for once I think it has actually become as big a scandal.

Screen Shot 2022-01-12 at 2.42.22 PM.png

[Liamvalid]

I came across this on Twitter. I would normally agree, except for once I think it has actually become as big a scandal.

Screen Shot 2022-01-12 at 2.42.22 PM.png

I’m not sure about elsewhere, but here in the Uk it’s massive. Even Murray winning Wimbledon didn’t get as much BBC news time as this Djokovic story is getting. It’s great for me because I can finally talk about tennis in the office and my colleagues are actually interested!

[ti-amie]

I came across this on Twitter. I would normally agree, except for once I think it has actually become as big a scandal.

Screen Shot 2022-01-12 at 2.42.22 PM.png

I’m not sure about elsewhere, but here in the Uk it’s massive. Even Murray winning Wimbledon didn’t get as much BBC news time as this Djokovic story is getting. It’s great for me because I can finally talk about tennis in the office and my colleagues are actually interested!

I even mentioned it at the hair salon and for once there were no eyes rolled. Most of the women there know Serena and Venus, maybe Cori and Naomi and that's it when it comes to tennis. Like Liam said they actually listened.

[JazzNU]

On Tennis Twitter, I saw the name Novax Djerkovic and I have to say, I'm seriously disappointed in this community (myself included) for not coining that name first. We need to do better, it was sitting right there the entire time.

[ti-amie]

^^ Not sure about others, but it's been confirmed by L'Equipe that the reporter at that interviewed him and the team that did the photoshoot on the Dec. 18th learned of Djokovic's covid positive test when the story broke in Australia in recent days.

[ponchi101]

On Tennis Twitter, I saw the name Novax Djerkovic and I have to say, I'm seriously disappointed in this community (myself included) for not coining that name first. We need to do better, it was sitting right there the entire time.

Ok, no, no, no! I will not accept anybody denying our brilliance when it comes to cynicism and being witty! We coined NOVAX way before anybody else, and we (and arrogance forces me to say I) coined "Novax Djocovid" last week!
You are stepping on very sensitive land mines, lady!!!
(Novax Djerkovic is pretty good too, but I will stick with my crowd )

[ponchi101]

The idiot in me still is puzzled by the simplest of facts: he is NOT vaccinated. Australians need to be vaccinated, visitors more so.
All this circus, legal proceedings and the such boil down to that: he is not vaccinated, and therefore, out you go, dude. You are not in compliance.

[JazzNU]

The idiot in me still is puzzled by the simplest of facts: he is NOT vaccinated. Australians need to be vaccinated, visitors more so.
All this circus, legal proceedings and the such boil down to that: he is not vaccinated, and therefore, out you go, dude. You are not in compliance.

Ben has been posting this every couple of days. I am also very confused why he didn't know the better course of action in all of this is to either get vaccinnated, or keep his butt at home.

[ti-amie]

The idiot in me still is puzzled by the simplest of facts: he is NOT vaccinated. Australians need to be vaccinated, visitors more so.
All this circus, legal proceedings and the such boil down to that: he is not vaccinated, and therefore, out you go, dude. You are not in compliance.

It got complicated because Tiley gave him a waiver to play, a waiver that was based on what now looks to be a fictitious positive test sometime in December. If Tiley hadn't given that waiver would he have dared go to Australia? At the end of the day Tiley should face some repurcussions for his role in this fiasco.

Yesterday it was the German's publishing their version of what happened. Today it's the French. And the Daily Fail is also saying he's getting the boot.

Australian government prepares case to DEPORT Novak Djokovic as investigation hones in on 'inconsistencies' in his statement - amid concern letting him stay sets a 'dangerous precedent'
Novak Djokovic may be deported despite winning Federal Circuit Court case
Australian Immigration minister will make a decision on the matter Thursday
Inconsistencies have arisen in the world no. 1 tennis star's account of events
By LEVI PARSONS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

PUBLISHED: 02:06 EST, 12 January 2022 | UPDATED: 09:24 EST, 12 January 2022

The Australian Federal Government is tonight still preparing paperwork to try and boot Novak Djokovic out of the country, with sources warning letting him stay would set a 'dangerous precedent'.

It is understood the government is willing to receive harsh backlash internationally over the issue in order to maintain its 'tough on Covid' border stance.

The world no. 1 was originally set to be given the boot after being detained at an immigration hotel over the weekend but won a battle in the Federal Circuit Court to remain in the country and chase his 10th Australian Open title.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is expected to hand down his decision on Thursday with bureaucrats from the Department of Home Affairs' investigating inconsistencies in the tennis star's story.

Djokovic, who is a vaccine sceptic, attempted to address a number of concerns about the situation in a lengthy statement posted to his Instagram page on Wednesday but several questions still remain.

Of most concern to Australian officials is Djokovic's admitted breach of Serbia's isolation rules after learning he had tested positive and the false information he provided on his travel entry form which he later blamed on his agent.

Lingering mystery also surrounds when the 20-time Grand Slam winner actually learned he had Covid with a German publication sowing doubt on his PCR test after QR Code information was uncovered that 'did not match up'.

The 34-year-old disclosed he had attended an event with children while he was Covid positive, but claimed he didn't know he was infected until afterwards.

He had taken a PCR test the day before and was awaiting results, but said he tested negative to a rapid antigen test so went along.

Djokovic has been the subject of intense scrutiny for presenting awards to kids at an event in Belgrade on December 17 - a day after recording a positive result for the virus.

The Serbian maintained he was not aware of his diagnosis until shortly after but did admit to conducting an in-person interview with French newspaper L'Équipe knowing he was positive.

He called his decision to go ahead with the Q and A an 'error in judgement' but said he maintained social distancing and wore a mask.

Under Serbian law, where anyone Covid positive must isolate for 14 days, such a breach can carry a maximum sentence of three years behind bars.

The tennis ace is also in hot water for various inconsistencies on his Australian declaration form.

Djokovic falsely said he had not travelled to any other countries in the 14 days prior to arriving in Melbourne, but it was later revealed he had been in Spain.

'This was submitted by my support team on my behalf - as I told immigration officials on my arrival,' he said.

'My agent sincerely apologises for the administrative mistake in ticking the incorrect box about my previous travel before coming to Australia.'

Djokovic said the mistake was a 'human error' and in a pandemic 'sometimes these mistakes can occur'.

'Today, my team has provided additional information to the Australian government to clarify this matter,' he said.

That 'additional information' is currently being assessed by Immigration Minister Hawke who is weighing up whether to us his discretional powers to deport the tennis great.

Ministers and advisors within the Morrison government are growing apprehensive about the diplomatic fallout internationally.

But at the same time many feel failing to act would will bring embarrassment on the homefront and undermine Australia's strong stance on borders as Covid cases continue to spiral.

Either way, policymakers do not want the scandal to drag on any further and have urged on Mr Hawke to make the call as soon as possible.

The Immigration Minister however has quietly rejected their demands and is in the process of examining all of Djokovic's submissions.

'Mr Djokovic's lawyers have recently provided lengthy further submissions and supporting documentation said to be relevant to the possible cancellation of his visa,' a spokesman for Minister Hawke said.

'Naturally, this will affect the timeframe for a decision.'

The government has doubts about when Djokovic actually became infected after the German publication Der Spiegel uncovered timestamps that allegedly do not match.

Unvaccinated travellers are banned from Australia unless they have a valid exemption.

Djokovic wrote in a sworn court affidavit he was 'tested and diagnosed' for Covid on December 16 - contradicting his claim he was told of his positive result on the 17th after attending the event with children in Serbia.

The penalty for providing false information to to the Federal Circuit Court under the Crimes Act can carry a maximum jail sentence of five years.

But the inconsistencies don't stop there.

Djokovic was told he could fly into Melbourne on the basis he tested positive to the virus in Serbia on December 16 and then negative six days later.

But Der Spiegel claims when its reporter entered the code for his December 16 test into the official Serbian health database at 1.19pm on Monday, the result came back negative.

An hour later at 2.33pm, the scan returned a positive result - in what could simply be a quirk of the system.

A negative result would have invalidated Djokovic's claim to enter Australia on a temporary working visa for the tournament.

His positive test result has also been called into question by a discrepancy in the identification numbers used for every test.

The German investigation found Djokovic's December 16 test result had the ID number 7371999, but his negative result on December 22 was 7320919 - 50,000 spaces lower.

Researchers claimed the mismatched identification numbers showed Djokovic may actually have tested negative on December 16 and then positive six days later.

Such a result would have also made the Serbian ineligible to enter Australia on the grounds he had recently contracted and recovered from the virus on December 22, as claimed on official documentation.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Djokovic or his team were involved in any wrongdoing, simply that there are questions surrounding the administrative error.

The Australian Open begins on January 17.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... k-out.html

[ponchi101]

Meanwhile, in this godforsaken little Banana republic, the Colombian tennis federation just sent me a mass mail telling everybody that in order to play in ANY tournament, regardless of category, you must show your vaccination card, BOOSTERS included. No exceptions.
It is not that hard, Australia...

[Woody]

On Tennis Twitter, I saw the name Novax Djerkovic and I have to say, I'm seriously disappointed in this community (myself included) for not coining that name first. We need to do better, it was sitting right there the entire time.

Ok, no, no, no! I will not accept anybody denying our brilliance when it comes to cynicism and being witty! We coined NOVAX way before anybody else, and we (and arrogance forces me to say I) coined "Novax Djocovid" last week!
You are stepping on very sensitive land mines, lady!!!
(Novax Djerkovic is pretty good too, but I will stick with my crowd )

Oh, Ponchi... You missed my Twitter account from 2020... I forget why I added the extra x.

https://twitter.com/NovaxxDjoCovid