By Gabriel Princewill-
There are concerns over the legitimacy of France’s new stringent rules that makes the country appear to be going out of its way to prevent tennis player Novak Djokovic (pictured)from attending the French Open event after the government has tightened its Coronavirus restrictions.
According to the new regulation, which will come into force on February 15, a recovery certificate – which currently allows Djokovic to enter the country and attend the French Open event- will no longer be valid from this month.
The new stipulation requiring a maximum four months lapse in the time period in which an entrant to the country has tested positive for covid-19 is ill motived. The subsequent climb down from its original six months stipulation manifestly lacks the integrity required of a governing nation, notwithstanding a nation’s sovereignty. It appears to be designed to either compel Djokovic to be double vaccinated, or to prohibit the tennis ace from participating in the French open.
Given Djokavic’s claim to have tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-December, he is being set up for exclusion from the French tournament poised to begin on May 22, unless he tests positive for covid-19 again, or succumbs to the pressure to be double vaccinated.
The French Sports Ministry has asserted its position to permit no exceptions for Djokovic’s case, yet its new rule appears to be specifically targeting the tennis player. The requirement for vaccination apparently applies to all citizens and travellers- a mantra expected to give a semblance of uniform treatment, despite its inherent political agenda.
“This will apply to everyone who is a spectator or a professional sportsperson. And this until further notice. As far as Roland Garros is concerned, it’s in May. The situation may change between now and then and we hope it’ll be more favourable. So we’ll see, but clearly there’s no exemption,” the Ministry stated earlier this week.
France has taking a distastefully draconian position in enforcing its policies, ostensibly designed to safeguard the health of its citizens. The sad truth is that French president Emmanuel Macron exposed his bullish political stance last months when he arrogantly and bullishly declared his intention to frustrate unvaccinated members of the French public by ensuring they can’t mix in restaurants, cafe, theatres and other public places.
Prior to his narcissistic outburst, one would have been forgiven for believing policies of this type were in place to genuinely protect the health of the people. Sadly, the imposition of consequential laws to compel vaccination has hidden motives that are avowedly dictatorial, and do not bode well for the integrity of many of the leaders adopting such a stance. They undermine any legitimate purposes vaccination may serve, and do a disservice to the expertise of some of those scientists who have created a vaccine that reduces the chances of serious illness or death.
Narcissistic dictator in the making?: Emmanuel Macron Image: © CarolRobert | Dreamstime.com
Earlier this month, Djokovic was deported from Australia and banned from playing in the Australian Open for not meeting the country’s COVID-19 vaccination criteria. The entire saga was unedifying, and left all parties with egg on their faces.
Granted, Djokovic exhibited a reproachable level of arrogance in attending a journalistic appointment knowing he had tested positive with Covid-19, but the Australian authorities lost legitimate credibility and honour in the process. The glaring evidence in their pre-existing targeting of Djokavic for not being vaccinated emitted an unpleasant stench that brought brought their position to disrepute in the mind of fair minded and dispassionate observers.
A number of journalists from otherwise reputable publications jumped on the cheap bandwagon of criticizing him for his stance on not wanting to be vaccinated.
Had their criticisms been confined to his negligence in mixing publicly whilst tested positive for the virus, or inaccurately filling in forms, they would have maintained a defensible position of credible criticism.
Instead, many descended to reprehensible lows of celebrating his exclusion from the tournament, because he chose to be unvaccinated. Vaccination, for all its benefits and attending controversies, has been shrouded in tyranny, corruption, and egotism and seems to gradually be following a trajectory of compulsion that smacks of corruption and despotism, detracting from the hallowed principles of fairness and authenticity enshrined in the rule of law.
Djokavic was generally regarded as the best tennis player before Australian open (AAP: Dave Hunt)
Rafael Nadal won this year’s Australian open , extending his record of 20 Grand Slams. An exceptional sportsman himself, the Spaniard dominated the Grand Slam race for the first time when he won the Australian Open on Sunday, achieving a record 21st Major trophy.
He had attempted the feat at Wimbledon in 2019, before losing to Djokovic, and also to Daniil Medvedev in the championship match. This time , he broke the record, but he will always know he did not beat Djokavic, making his undeniable epic victory, somewhat by default.
Every great athlete wants to beat the recognized best, or the one perceived to be the best, or legitimately contending that top spot. The superlative expression of of success or victory in a sport necessitates eclipsing all competitors and beating the best, not claiming to be at the pinnacle of the sport at the expense of the participation of a legitimate threat to that position.
Nadal victory was a major achievement, he can claim to have won, but can’t claim to be the best in a competition without Nadal. He knows this, though it was no fault of his.
Joyous Nadal celebrates fulfilling victory in Australian open Image: AP
Novak Djokovic’s biographer has now claimed the Serbian get his Covid-19 vaccination because he had to sit and watch Rafael Nadal win a record 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open.
If his biographer is right, it would mean the tennis player had a change of heart, not because he values the protection vaccination will afford him and others, but rather because he has been forced to do in order to sustain his well being and integrate into the new norms being brutally exerted without proper dialogue and voluntary acknowledgement of the importance.
It could set a bad precedent for the future of the world, and embolden the powers that be to arbitrarily impose policies , not for the purported general good of their respective societies, but for their own insatiable quest for absolute power, deification, and control. That is a potentially more frightening reality in which these antecedents may retrospectively turn out to just be a building block in a harmful process and eventuality where power, not legitimacy dictates the order of the day.