Former tennis player Andrew Castle has slammed the Australian government over their treatment of world number one player Novak Djokovic – who is waiting to be deported back from the country amid an anti-vax backlash.
The 58-year-old British tennis legend has offered a degree of support to embattled 34-year-old Novak who flew Down Under to take part in the upcoming Australian Open tennis championships – only to be stopped at customs, had his visa revoked, and now will spend the weekend in a notoriously grim quarantine hotel in preparation of being flown back to Europe and while his lawyers make a last minute effort to have his visa reinstated.
The Serbian tennis champion has been engulfed in anti-vax scandal in recent months after the star hit out against vaccinations and said he objects to members of the public being forced to take vaccines against the Covid-19 virus.
Australia has taken and incredibly hardline approach to the virus – shutting off borders to even Australian nationals for months on end as the pandemic swept across the world, and forcing visitors to take a mandatory stay in quarantine hotels upon arrival before they are allowed to go out into the country.
There was a public backlash in Australia when locals discovered that Novak, with his anti-vax views, was going to be allowed to enter the country without the need for quarantining in order to take part in the tennis competition – sparking fury as some Aussie’s have missed the final moments of critically ill family members' lives due to being forced to quarantine when flying back to their home nation after being abroad.
Amid growing backlash against Novak’s waiver of quarantine, the Australian government appeared to change their decision to allow him to enter the country, despite him submitting to a rigorous exemption application process, to then deny him entry to the country and the order was given for his deportation.
Appearing on Channel 5’s The Jeremy Vine show on Thursday, Andrew – a former UK number one tennis player – criticised the sudden change in Novak’s fortunes.
He said: “Remember! Two independent panels – and this has all been okayed by Tennis Australia and by the State and Federal Government – to separate medical panels were convened to look at the paperwork and the application for an exemption for this Covid-19 vaccination for Novak Djokovic.
“That was submitted in an anonymous way, so there was no special treatment for him. It was one of 26 applications for this medical exemption into the vaccination and suddenly after getting on the plane in Dubai to go down to Melbourne it was alright, the visa was fine, he can come to the country.
“By the time he gets down to Melbourne, that is no longer valid. What has happened in those 14 hours between him boarding the flight and him getting to Australia? Public outrage!”
Show host Jeremy, 56, argued on behalf of outraged Australians to suggest the Australian government were right to deny the sportsman’s visa last minute – but Andrew argued there was too much mystery surrounding the decision for Novak being deported.
Andrew said: “Why set up these two independent medical review panels and jumping through hoops to submit the documentation that will either allow you in or not with that exemption, if you are then not going to abide by it. The politicians are going to set the rules then follow them.
“We need to know what has changed between him boarding that plane where the documents were checked and when he arrived in Australia.
“If the politicians are being blown around as much as that airplane, well let’s hear about that!”
He also suggested there could have been political reasons behind the apparent sudden change of heart, arguing: “Don’t forget there is an election going on in four months time. I don’t believe in Novak’s stance, I don’t believe that you shouldn’t have a vaccination. I think you should. But that isn’t really the point.”
