The Serbian tennis player, Novak Djokovic, admitted this Wednesday to having committed “Human errors” in the documents to enter Australia and attend an interview with a sports media after knowing its positive in Covid-19.
“I felt compelled to go to the interview with L’Team for do not leave the journalist lying, but I kept social distance and a mask all the time, except during the photographs. Returning home, I isolated myself and reflected. I made a mistake in judgment and I admit that I had to postpone the appointment “, said the athlete in a statement published on social networks.
He assured that he had no symptoms and that he did not know the results of the PCR which was done on the 16th, and He admitted that he made a mistake by not isolating himself immediately.
Read also: More problems for Novak Djokovic: they investigate if he lied to enter Australia
The first part of Novak Djokovic’s statement
Djokovic assured that he underwent a test to detect Covid-19 on December 16, the result of which he learned a day later after attending an event with young people, while the interview was on the 18th.
“I was asymptomatic and I felt fine and I did not receive notification of my positive PCR test. until after that event (with young people) ”specified the N ° 1 in the world, who also pointed out that he had previously undergone antigen tests as a precaution, which were negative.
The 34-year-old Serbian urged the media to correct the misinformation published regarding their activities “In particular in regards to the general concern of the community for my presence in Australia, and to address issues that are very hurtful and worrying for my family.”
Djokovic, who looks forward to defending his title at the Australian Open As of the 17th, he also assured that his agent made a “human error” when filling in the box on the trips that the athlete made in the 14 days prior to his arrival in the oceanic country.
The Australian government continues to consider his possible visa cancellation and subsequent deportation.
Djokovic arrived last Wednesday in Melbourne with a medical exemption to be vaccinated for having contracted Covid-19 in December, but the customs agents denied him the visa and he was held in a hotel while his lawyers filed an appeal.
Read also: The day Novak Djokovic declared himself anti-vaccine: “I am opposed and I would not like to be forced”
A Melbourne court on Monday gave the reason to Djokovic, 34, and allowed him to enter the country, but there is still a chance that he will be expelled from Australia, although it is unknown when the official decision will be known.
The full statement that Novak Djokovic published on his social networks
I want to address the ongoing misinformation about my activities and event attendance in December in the lead up to my positive PCR COVID test result. This is misinformation that should be corrected, particularly In order to alleviate the wider community concern about my presence in Australia, and address issues that are very painful and worrying for my family.
I want to emphasize that I have gone to great lengths to ensure everyone’s safety and my compliance with testing obligations. I attended a basketball game in Belgrade on December 14, after which several people were reported to have tested positive for COVID 19. Despite having no symptoms, I had a rapid antigen test on December 16 that came back negative, too An official and approved PCR test was carried out that same day.
The next day I attended a tennis event in Belgrade to give prizes to the children and I had a rapid antigen test before going to the event, and it came back negative. I was asymptomatic and I felt fine, and had not received notification of a positive PCR test result until after that event.
The next day, December 18, I was at my tennis center in Belgrade to fulfill a long-standing engagement for a L’Equipe interview and photo shoot. I canceled all other events except the L’Equipe interview. I felt compelled to go ahead and conduct the interview because I did not want to disappoint the journalist, but I made sure to socially distance myself and wear a mask, except when my picture was being taken. While I went home after the interview to isolate myself for the required period, on second thought, This was an error in judgment and I accept that I should have rescheduled this commitment.
Regarding my travel statement, my support team sent it on my behalf, as I told the immigration officials upon my arrival, and my agent sincerely apologizes for the clerical error by checking the wrong box about my previous trip before coming. This was human error and certainly not deliberate. We are living in difficult times in a global pandemic, and sometimes these mistakes can happen. Today my team has provided additional information to the Australian Government to clarify this matter.
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While I felt it was important to address and clarify misinformation, I will not comment further out of respect for the Australian government and its authorities and the current process. It is always an honor and a privilege to play in the Australian Open, a tournament much loved by players, fans and the community, not just in Victoria and Australia, but around the world, and I just want to have the opportunity to compete against the best players in the world and perform before one of the best crowds in the world.
Australia needs more time to consider deportation of Djokovic
Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said Wednesday that he needs more time to decide whether to exercise his powers to deport Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, after his lawyers provided new documents.
“Djokovic’s lawyers have recently provided more extensive presentations and supporting documentation that they say is relevant to (avoid) the possible cancellation of the visa (…) This will affect the time to make a decision,” the office of the Djokovic said in a statement. Minister of Immigration.
Despite the victory of the world number one in the Australian courts last Monday, which allowed him to stay in the country to play the Australian Open without being vaccinated, the immigration minister “is considering whether to cancel Djokovic’s visa” through the use granted by section 133C (3) of the Australian Immigration Act.
Upon his arrival in Australia on the night of January 5, the immigration authorities detained the 34-year-old tennis player, canceled his visa and sent him to a hotel where he remained isolated until last Monday, considering insufficient evidence to obtain an exemption. medical vaccination.
The tennis player’s lawyers appealed the decision to a Melbourne court that on Monday gave the reason to the Serbian athlete, who since then has been training freely to prepare for the Australian Open, which takes place between January 17 and 30.
The authorities are investigating, according to the Australian media, errors in the documents delivered by Djokovic to enter the country and doubts have arisen about his attendance at various events after being tested for COVID-19 in December.
The tennis player, through a statement published on social networks, blamed “human errors” for the mistakes in the documents and admitted attending an interview with a sports newspaper on December 18 after learning his positive a day before.
Djokovic assures that he underwent a PCR on December 16, the result of which came out that same day, but that it was not until the 17th that he received the notification of the positive after having participated in an act with children, for which he underwent antigen tests that were negative.
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