By Gabriel Princewill-
The detainment of Novak Djokovic’s follo
wing the revocation of his visa and his exclusion from the Australian tennis tournament is likely illegal.
The announcement by the Australian government that all players, staff and fans at the Australian Open must have full vaccinations unless there is a genuine medical reason may contravene Human Right laws, unless it can be equivocally demonstrated to be justified.
Stringent requirements for double vaccinations as a requirement to attend tournaments of this kind is considered to be lacking in logical and legal scrutiny, given its absence of any guarantee of protection from Covid-19. The fact many people who have been double vaccinated have still fallen ill due to Covid-19 has been a talking point in many circles, ostensibly rendering such inflexible calls authoritarian.
Many critics and members of the British public consider the fuss for double vaccination in such sporting setting to be bullish, though relatively few are cognizant of research which has concluded that double vaccinated people are three times less likely than unvaccinated people to test positive for the coronavirus, with double vaccinated people were less likely than unvaccinated people to test positive after coming into contact with someone who had COVID-19 .
According to the research, analyses of PCR test results suggest that fully vaccinated people may be less likely than unvaccinated people to pass the virus on to others, due to having a smaller viral load on average, thereby shedding less virus. How tenable the aforementioned finding is has not been fully tested.
Notwithstanding, the arbitrary imposition of this rule and the manner of its application can boarder on dictatorship when not exercised prudently. Insensitivity to the complex reasons making some people averse to double vaccination can itself heighten suspicions of dictatorship and arbitrary rule, more so where alternative mechanisms of achieving the overarching objective of infection control exist.
The lateral flow or PCR test as currently practised in the Uk , offers one of such alternatives. An omission to explore viable options can be synonymous to tyranny, greatly undermining any noble goal the government may purport to have.
Dangerous Precedent
The decision taken by the Australian government in full glare of the world media runs the risk of setting a dangerous precedent for other countries to emulate, potentially leading to the disintegration of societies and a significantly more discordant world, headed by potential self conceited narcissists drunk with power and an insatiable quest for control. Credibility is important in every government; the absence of intuitive reasoning and appeal in any government policy is a recipe for disaster.
The idea of marginalizing the outstanding tennis player who is unrivalled in his field, despite a negative Covid test and a visa smacks of injustice. Poorly explained grounds for rules that have any semblance of irrationality can only serve to re-enforce pre-existing skepticism about vaccination among those groups.
President of Australia: Scott Morrison says no exception to vaccinate rule
Djokovic has won a record-equaling 20 men’s Grand Slam titles and is a world number one with jaw-dropping athleticism – but he is also one of his sport’s most polarizing figures.
The 34-year-old Serb is currently sitting in a government detention hotel in Australia, waiting for his latest controversy to play out after having his visa revoked in Melbourne when he arrived to defend his Australian Open title.
A court will decide on Monday whether to deport him , but it is difficult to imagine legitimate grounds of deporting a player because he is not fully vaccinated.
He has repeatedly been accused by players of exaggerating injuries, including at last year’s Australian Open when Taylor Fritz said the Serb would have retired from their match if his abdomen problem was “really, really bad”.
His post on social media to express his granting of a medical exemption without giving the reasons, left his fellow sportsmen feeling he was the beneficiary of an exceptional treatment.
If he wins the appeal against deportation on Monday, he will be able to bid for a record-extending 10th Australian Open and record 21st men’s Grand Slam title.
Meanwhile, doubles specialist Renata Voracova, who had played in Melbourne earlier this week, has been asked to leave Australia after being detained by Border Force officials. They implied that other players had also been detained in the same Carlton hotel as Voracova and Djokovic but no details have emerged to corroborate this.
“We can confirm that Czech tennis player Renata Voracova is in the same detention as Djokovic, together with several other players,” the Czech Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We submitted through our embassy in Canberra a protest note and are asking for an explanation of the situation. However, Renata Voracova decided to drop out of the tournament due to limited possibilities for training and to leave Australia.”
The 38-year-old made her grand slam debut in doubles in 2002 in New York but has won only one match in 12 appearances at the highest level and is currently ranked 81.