A ROW seems to be brewing between the Australian government and the Serbian authorities over the cancellation of the visa of tennis star Novak Djokovic, who was in Australia to compete in the Australia Open. He has since been deported, but not after kicking up a storm which has left the tennis world divided.

The controversy started after the unvaccinated Serbian tennis star entered the country on January 5 but had his visa cancelled on ‘health and good order’ grounds, based on an argument by the Australian Government that ‘it was in the public interest to do so.’  He sought legal representation only to have a decision in his favour reversed by the Australian court, thus paving the way for his eventual deportation.

Opinion is divided as to whether or not the Australian authorities were too harsh in their treatment of the tennis star, who is known for his opposition to vaccination mandates, something to which the Australian Government is holding on firmly. The fact that the COVID-19 virus and its several mutations and variants are causing a new surge in infection rates worldwide, has resulted in heightened sensitivities about the vaccines and a higher level of intolerance against the unvaccinated.

It is against the above backdrop that the decision to deny a visa to Mr Djokovic has to be seen. It is a case of sticking to the rules regardless of the status of the individual. Granted that Djokovic is no ordinary individual, given his ranking in the tennis world, his unvaccinated status much less his views on the subject of vaccine mandates cannot be ignored. The debate as to whether the matter was properly handled by the Australian Government will continue long after the games have ended.

The games, however, will go on even though it must be very disappointing for Djokovic and his fans over his inability to compete in the games which commence today. He has won a record nine Australia Open titles, including three in a row which makes it all the more painful both for himself and his huge fan base that he would no longer be in a position to compete in the games.

Truth be told, his inability to compete in the games is to a large extent of his own making. He had in effect refused to play by the rules in respect of the host country’s vaccination policies and guidelines and as someone who is aware of the importance of playing by the rules on the tennis court, he ought to know that failure to adhere to the vaccination policies of the host nation must have consequences. In other words, the ‘victim’ image he and his supporters are seeking to project is of his own making and he now has to live with the consequences that flow from his actions. To his credit, he has said that even though he was disappointed over the court’s ruling, he respected the decision.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison cannot be faulted when he said that ‘no one is above the rules’ and that such rules cannot be applied selectively. There can be no ‘holy cows’ and the rules must be applied uniformly. Failing to do so could send mixed signals and could have serious political and other implications. This is especially so given the fact that Djokovic was tested positive for the COVID-19 virus three years ago and that he was less than truthful to the authorities regarding his post-COVID-19 travelling status.

Australians, like so many others globally, are forced to endure some of the world’s strictest restrictions and many are unable to travel freely between states or internationally. Many were infuriated over what appeared to be an attempted flouting of the COVID-19 rules by people of prominence and there was mounting pressure for the government to stand firmly on principles.

Meanwhile, in another part of the world, the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has found himself in some trouble after it was revealed that even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister was seen ‘partying’ at a time when lockdown measures were fully in force. He has since offered an apology to Buckingham Palace amid calls by opposition elements for him to step down.

Here in Guyana, the PPP/C Government is pushing ahead aggressively with its vaccination programme to reach the level of herd immunity. The Ministry of Health has set a target of 70 per cent of the population to be fully vaccinated by April 2022 and is on course to meet the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) target to fully vaccinate 40 per cent of its population by the end of 2021 and 70 per cent by mid-2022.  In fact, Guyana is one of the few developing countries that actually have enough vaccines for the full cohort of its adult population.

As both the Djokovic experience and the political storm involving the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson have demonstrated, the issue of vaccination and attitudes towards the virus go way beyond the boundaries of sports and politics. If there is one positive outcome from the Djokovic affair, it is that there is now a heightened focus on the issue of the COVID-19 virus and vaccination mandates.