COVID-19 and Tennis

[Must...Fly!]

The court heard Tennis Australia would need to know by Tuesday if Djokovic can play at the Australian Open, to which the Judge responded, "The tail won't be wagging the dog here".

Good. Dead right and absolutely wrong as well because late injury withdrawals happen all the time. It is not unprecedented to have a player announce they're not competing hours before the tournament starts

 

[RooFlyer]

Good. Dead right and absolutely wrong as well because late injury withdrawals happen all the time. It is not unprecedented to have a player announce they're not competing hours before the tournament starts

Dead right ... like this one

'Absolute joke': Confusion reigns over Novak Djokovic 'withdrawal'

World No.1 Novak Djokovic has stunned fans only hours after leaving quarantine in Adelaide.

au.sports.yahoo.com

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

My fave =
@kirstinferguson

Pistol, Boo and Novak Djokovic walk into a bar …. #DjokovicOut #novaxdjokovic

6:13 AM · Jan 6, 2022·

 

[Quickstatus]

just tried to bluff their way through

Mmmm.

Tried to strong arm the Dept of Home affairs
TA said:
“It’s not up to me, or the PM or any politician to determine whether he can play” - when Djokovic was already airborne…

Tennis Australia has no authority over border law.

They thought their panel of experts did, and more importantly they thought the Govt didn’t.

 

[Must...Fly!]

“It’s not up to me, or the PM or any politician to determine whether he can play”

That's true but entering the country is another matter entirely.

Loving seeing TA exposed like this

 

[prozac]

Courtesy of 9news

Djokovic's hearing adjourned to 6pm

Novak Djokovic's hearing in the Federal Court has been adjourned to 6pm.
Judge A Kelly "emphasised without criticism" that he had not been able to make a ruling on Djokovic's application because the documents had not reached him since the court was adjourned earlier in the afternoon.
The court heard Tennis Australia would need to know by Tuesday if Djokovic can play at the Australian Open, to which the Judge responded, "The tail won't be wagging the dog here".
It is likely Djokovic will remain in Australia overnight.
He has been sent to a hotel used to hold refugees.

Tail, dog, does this mean if he loses this application to the court he will be restricted from entering Australia for up to 3 yrs?
Pity.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

That's true but entering the country is another matter entirely.

Loving seeing TA exposed like this

Yes, TA spoke well - ATAGI and the Vic expert panel decided who (on the basis of public health risk?!) is allowed to play.

If only Djokovic applied for a travel exemption with Border Force, this might have been avoided. Apparently apply between 14 days and 2 months before intended travel. Response usually in 7 days from when all information for application provided.

 

[dairyfloss]

and of course the jokes have started

View attachment 268490

Here’s another of the good’uns from today:

 

[Quickstatus]

Another explanation is that TA were desperate to get Djoko in. They reached out to Vic Govt who agrees to play along with the scheme cooked up by TA by agreeing to set up the 2nd panel of experts. VGovt played them for fools when they turned around and denied they had any part in. At the same time putting ScoMo in the hot seat.

Dan and Anastasia now smirking together when ScoMo essentially doing what both of them were doing. The only difference is D&A banned citizens and let in special people.

 

[Must...Fly!]

It certainly seems the Victorian government were approving of the exemption based on articles published yesterday

How did Novak Djokovic get a COVID-19 vaccination exemption to play at the Australian Open?

How did Novak Djokovic get a COVID-19 vaccination exemption?

The world number one tennis player needed to convince two separate panels that he met the criteria for being allowed to enter the country while unvaccinated.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Must...Fly!]

Maybe it's time we cancel Tennis Australia too.

ABF investigates two more Tennis Australia medical exemptions after Novak Djokovic's visa cancellation

Border officials investigate more medical exemptions after Djokovic's visa cancellation

Australian Border Force officials investigate another player and an official granted medical exemptions by Tennis Australia following Novak Djokovic's visa cancellation.

www.abc.net.au

I hope they get absolutely reamed for this farcical procedure. I still can't believe they got away with hosting it last year with the support of the Victorian government.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The panel on The Project (Channel 10) seem to be outraged about the international shame being brought on Australia.

I’m not sure they read the situation right on this one?

Their ‘expert’ tonight said his questions for the Court would be ‘why did Australia grant a visa?’, and ‘why are they cancelling that visa if nothing has changed?’. The chanel 10 team were in complete agreement on these points.

Us ordinary folk are always told that the granting of a visa does not guarantee entry, and that you must comply with the prevailing entry requirements at the time.

 

[RooFlyer]

Its probably worth remembering here that even if you have a straightforward Visa to enter a country, (or medical approval to play in a tennis tournament) you are completely at the mercy of the border officer who processes you at the arrival port/airport.

I see MEL_Traveller has just made the same point.

 

[oz_mark]

The panel on The Project (Channel 10) seem to be outraged about the international shame being brought on Australia.

I’m not sure they read the situation right on this one?

Their ‘expert’ tonight said his questions for the Court would be ‘why did Australia grant a visa?’, and ‘why are they cancelling that visa if nothing has changed?’. The chanel 10 team were in complete agreement on these points.

Us ordinary folk are always told that the granting of a visa does not guarantee entry, and that you must comply with the prevailing entry requirements at the time.

Who would have thought the impartial, unbiased presenters on The Project would try to hang it on the federal government?

 

[Anna]

I bet S Marshall would have lent state support to the visa application if Novax had been smart enough to fly to Adelaide in time for the ATP tournament in ADL.

 

[RooFlyer]

I bet S Marshall would have lent state support to the visa application if Novax had been smart enough to fly to Adelaide in time for the ATP tournament in ADL.

I refer you to this post (or maybe you were being facitious )

COVID-19 and Tennis

IMO it makes Australia look like a absolute backwater on the international stage. Surely this could have all been sorted this out earlier, well before he even set foot on the plane in Dubai? IMO this childish bickering/politicking between Canberra & Melbourne is puerile, and a stain on all our...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[Must...Fly!]

If Perth still had the Hopman Cup he would've been welcomed by McGowan for the princely sum of a photo together for the front page of the local propaganda, and some footage of him holding an AFL football for the 6pm news...

 

[prozac]

Maybe it's time we cancel Tennis Australia too.

ABF investigates two more Tennis Australia medical exemptions after Novak Djokovic's visa cancellation

Border officials investigate more medical exemptions after Djokovic's visa cancellation

Australian Border Force officials investigate another player and an official granted medical exemptions by Tennis Australia following Novak Djokovic's visa cancellation.

www.abc.net.au

I hope they get absolutely reamed for this farcical procedure. I still can't believe they got away with hosting it last year with the support of the Victorian government.

Money talks, bullshit walks I'm afraid.

 

[jakeseven7]

If Perth still had the Hopman Cup he would've been welcomed by McGowan for the princely sum of a photo together for the front page of the local propaganda, and some footage of him holding an AFL football for the 6pm news...

Poor old WA

 

[burmans]

The panel on The Project (Channel 10) seem to be outraged about the international shame being brought on Australia.

I’m not sure they read the situation right on this one?

Their ‘expert’ tonight said his questions for the Court would be ‘why did Australia grant a visa?’, and ‘why are they cancelling that visa if nothing has changed?’. The chanel 10 team were in complete agreement on these points.

Us ordinary folk are always told that the granting of a visa does not guarantee entry, and that you must comply with the prevailing entry requirements at the time.

Ever watched Border Force. Visas are offered based on information provided by the applicants but are assessed at the border. If the information is incorrect the applicant is turned around. Happens all the time.