Novak Djokovic’s father has been filmed posing with followers brandishing banned Russian flags on the Australian Open, together with one that includes Vladimir Putin, in scenes Ukraine’s ambassador Thursday slammed as “a shame”.
The Serbian star Djokovic had simply booked his place within the event semi-final with a straight-sets thumping of Russian opponent Andrey Rublev at Rod Laver Enviornment on Wednesday evening.
After the match a bunch of followers unfurled Russian flags — that are banned at Melbourne Park — close to the stadium and chanted pro-Russian and pro-Putin slogans.
Tennis Australia mentioned 4 individuals “revealed inappropriate flags and symbols and threatened safety guards”. Police had been referred to as they usually had been ejected from Melbourne Park.
A video later posted to a pro-Russian Australian YouTube account confirmed Djokovic’s father Srdjan posing with a person holding a Russian flag bearing President Putin’s picture.
The person with the flag is sporting a black T-shirt with a “Z” on it — a logo supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The video is captioned: “Novak Djokovic’s father makes daring political assertion.”
Serbian tennis reporters confirmed it was Djokovic’s father and the Melbourne Age newspaper reported he mentioned in Serbian: “Lengthy stay Russia.”
Spectators are banned from having Russian or Belarusian flags on the Grand Slam after Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, demanded motion after they had been seen among the many crowd final week.
On the time, Russia’s embassy in Australia hit again, calling it “one other instance of unacceptable politicisation of sports activities”.
Myroshnychenko mentioned on Twitter on Thursday that the newest incident was shameful.
“It is a full bundle. Among the many Serbian flags, there may be: a Russian flag, Putin, Z-symbol, so-called Donetsk Individuals’s Republic flag,” he tweeted with a hyperlink to the video.
“It is such a shame… @TennisAustralia @AustralianOpen.”
Ukrainian participant Lesia Tsurenko, who was defeated within the Australian Open first spherical, tweeted: “No phrases to say.”
One other man was photographed by AFP contained in the stadium throughout Djokovic’s match with a pro-war “Z” image T-shirt.
Ukrainian former participant Alex Dolgopolov, who’s at the moment combating within the struggle, requested on Twitter: “This man will get banned for all times, at the very least for all Australian occasions, proper? @AustralianOpen.”
– Honour –
Forward of the Djokovic-Rublev match, Simeon Boikov, who runs the YouTube channel which posted the footage, had urged Russian supporters to descend on Melbourne Park to protest the flag ban.
“That is about honour and dignity now. That is an assault on honour and dignity. This has acquired nothing to do with the struggle,” he mentioned in a video message.
“The Russian empire has had its flag banned,” he added. “Nicely guess what Tennis Australia? Good luck when the empire strikes again.”
Event organiser Tennis Australia mentioned on Thursday it might proceed to work with safety to implement entry guidelines, with out straight addressing the incident with Djokovic’s father.
“Gamers and their groups have been briefed and reminded of the occasion coverage concerning flags and symbols and to keep away from any state of affairs that has the potential to disrupt,” it mentioned.
“We proceed to work intently with occasion safety and regulation enforcement businesses.”
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine final yr, Russian and Belarusian gamers have usually competed beneath a impartial white flag as independents, as is the case on the Australian Open.
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