A person is not allowed to enter a country. A scenario that occurs umpteen times a day in Austria alone. The fact that the Novak Djokovic case, who wants to start at the Australian Open despite an insufficient exemption, is making waves is due to his fame as number one in the tennis world. Since Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic and Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison immediately intervened, the cause is gradually turning into a state affair.
What began as a wish of a sports star skeptical of vaccinations to win the 21st Grand Slam title (record) in a country with a strict corona policy has become a political issue. Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabic also believes in political reasons for the rejection: “I can’t really see anything else.” How did it get to the point where an athlete becomes the plaything of state leaders?
“That is pure nationalism,” says Otmar Weiß of the political interference. According to the Viennese sports sociologist, this has no place in sport per se, but attempts to instrumentalize it often happen. Because while the success of political decisions – if at all – usually only becomes noticeable years later, the achievements of sports heroes are immediately visible and measurable for everyone. “In everyday life, life is not as transparent as it is in sport. I can’t talk about an Olympic victory,” said the professor from the University of Vienna.
Identifying a country
In general terms, the perception of the Djokovic case is very different in and outside of Serbia. While the international tenor does not understand why different rules should apply to number one than to all other people, reports from Serbia raise the question: What have they done to us?
This is due to the identity, explains Weiß. “It is the answer to the question: Who am I?” Not just people, nations have one too. And both are constantly looking for confirmation of their identity. A folk hero like Djokovic fulfills this need with his radiant successes around the world. White: “He is a figure that can be identified very rarely. He creates national self-confidence. Recognition is a social currency that everyone wants.
Against this background, it becomes somewhat understandable why compatriots are currently taking to the streets to compete and political officials prefer to look for mistakes in all other things than in the athlete himself.
For such a point of view, however, as an Austrian, you don’t need a look at Serbia, but just a little bit back in time: In 1972, world ski champion Karl Schranz was excluded from the Winter Olympics in Sapporo because he advertised at a hobby soccer game had violated amateur paragraphs that were still in force at the time. The ball may be different than it is now with Djokovic, one way or another the Tyrolean was received more triumphantly in Vienna by tens of thousands of people on his return than any other athlete after him. For white, the parallels are obvious. It is also striking that both Austria then and now Serbia suffered a war only decades earlier. “History plays a central role in the collective consciousness. What trauma happened there can be reflected in reactions,” says Weiß.
Czech lost visa
After the anger about Novak Djokovic’s entry, Australian authorities have now also revoked the Czech Renata Voracova’s visa. The 38-year-old is said to be one of those tennis professionals who, like Djokovic, had entered the country with an inadequate permit from the border officials’ point of view. According to the Australian news agency AAP, there should be another case.
Djokovic, who is obviously not vaccinated against Covid-19, will stay in Melbourne at least until Monday after his visa withdrawal. The court has adjourned the hearing of his lawyers to 10 a.m. local time on Monday. The world number one wants to challenge the visa cancellation. Yesterday, the 34-year-old thanked his followers via Instagram for their support: “I can feel it and I appreciate it very much.”
Source: Nachrichten
