Jan 6, 2022: According to a report by Al Jazeera, Novak Djokovic may have encountered a late snag on his trip to play in the Australian Open, after state government officials have refused to support his visa application.
Jaala Pulford, Victoria state’s acting sports minister said that her state had rejected a request for help and visa approvals were a matter for the federal government.
The Age reported that the Federal Border Force had contacted the Victorian state government and asked if it would support Djokovic’s application after his team applied for the wrong type of visa. The nine-time Australian Open champion reportedly arrived in Melbourne late on Wednesday.
Australian media reported that Djokovic was seeking to enter the country on a work visa which “was believed to require the support from the Victorian government”.
It was not clear whether the federal government would allow his entry. The Border Force could not be reached for comment.
“The federal government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic’s visa application to enter Australia,” Pulford said in a message on Twitter.
“We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam.
The Age said it was possible Djokovic would be allowed to disembark from his plane and fly to Melbourne, but that the issue was delaying his entry. Australians reacted angrily to the news that Djokovic had received a medical exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine for playing in this month’s Open.
All participants in the first Grand Slam of 2022, starting January 17, must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a medical exemption, given only after review by two panels of independent experts. With the granted medical exemption, Djokovic will not be required to quarantine and will enjoy the same freedoms in Melbourne as someone who is vaccinated.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison had already suggested Djokovic’s participation was not a done deal and he would have to satisfy the federal government, which has responsibility for international borders and visas and was not part of the exemption process.
Scott Morrison said that if the reasons for Djokovic’s exemption were “insufficient” then the Serb would be “on the next plane home”.
“There should be no special rules for Novak Djokovic at all. None whatsoever,” he told a news conference.
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