Djokovic father filmed with fans holding Russian flags
Novak Djokovic's father has been filmed posing with fans brandishing banned Russian flags at the Australian Open, including one featuring Vladimir Putin, in scenes Ukraine's ambassador Thursday slammed as "a disgrace".
The Serbian star Djokovic had just booked his place in the tournament semi-final with a straight-sets thumping of Russian opponent Andrey Rublev at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday night.
After the match a group of fans unfurled Russian flags -- which are banned at Melbourne Park -- near the stadium and chanted pro-Russian and pro-Putin slogans.
Tennis Australia said four people "revealed inappropriate flags and symbols and threatened security guards". Police were called and they were ejected from Melbourne Park.
A video later posted to a pro-Russian Australian YouTube account showed Djokovic's father Srdjan posing with a man holding a Russian flag bearing President Putin's image.
The man with the flag is wearing a black T-shirt with a "Z" on it -- a symbol supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The video is captioned: "Novak Djokovic's father makes bold political statement."
Serbian tennis reporters confirmed it was Djokovic's father and the Melbourne Age newspaper reported he said in Serbian: "Long live Russia."
Spectators are banned from having Russian or Belarusian flags at the Grand Slam after Ukraine's ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, demanded action when they were seen among the crowd last week.
At the time, Russia's embassy in Australia hit back, calling it "another example of unacceptable politicisation of sports".
Myroshnychenko said on Twitter on Thursday that the latest incident was shameful.
"It's a full package. Among the Serbian flags, there is: a Russian flag, Putin, Z-symbol, so-called Donetsk People's Republic flag," he tweeted with a link to the video.
"It's such a disgrace... @TennisAustralia @AustralianOpen."
Ukrainian player Lesia Tsurenko, who was defeated in the Australian Open first round, tweeted: "No words to say."
Another man was photographed by AFP inside the stadium during Djokovic's match with a pro-war "Z" symbol T-shirt.
Ukrainian former player Alex Dolgopolov, who is currently fighting in the war, asked on Twitter: "This guy will get banned for life, at least for all Australian events, right? @AustralianOpen."
Ahead 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.
"This is about honour and dignity now. This is an attack on honour and dignity. This has got nothing to do with the war," he said in a video message.
"The Russian empire has had its flag banned," he added. "Well guess what Tennis Australia? Good luck when the empire strikes back."
Tournament organiser Tennis Australia said on Thursday it would continue to work with security to enforce entry rules, without directly addressing the incident with Djokovic's father.
"Players and their teams have been briefed and reminded of the event policy regarding flags and symbols and to avoid any situation that has the potential to disrupt," it said.
"We continue to work closely with event security and law enforcement agencies."
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, Russian and Belarusian players have normally competed under a neutral white flag as independents, as is the case at the Australian Open.
-
Why Kamala Harris triggers Donald Trump so intensely.Time will be ripe for dialogue with N. Korea before March: ex餐饮类塑料吸管多“三无”产品 可能“吸走”您的健康Coach gets suspended sentence for beating female studentsNvidia GeForce Now Ultimate vs. New Graphics CardWoods eyes playing three majors in next three monthsTrump: Meetings are good thing after North Korea offers nuke talksApple to hold another event on November 10Unionized hospital workers pull out from strikeInternet Archive rolls out fact
下一篇:Webb telescope discovers 6 rogue worlds. They didn't form the way you'd expect.
- ·Venture Missionaries
- ·NK special forces practice paragliding CFC ambush: military
- ·[Reporter's Notebook] Humanitarian aid to North Korea should continue
- ·Biegun in Seoul this week to discuss resumption of nuke talks with North Korea
- ·Tesla reveals Cybertruck has sold more than DeLorean
- ·Korea to complete energy transformation road map this year
- ·Can't imagine tennis without Nadal: Alcaraz
- ·Pornhub will require proof of consent from all performers
- ·[Graphic News] Average book price nears 20,000 won
- ·Update your iPhone to iOS 14.2 right now if you want to keep it secure
- ·No need to worry, just hundreds of thousands of fire ants forming living towers
- ·Twitter continues to label Trump's misinformation about vote count
- ·'Black Myth: Wukong' PS5 review in progress: A potential masterpiece
- ·United accidentally puts rapper and his dog on separate flights
- ·Woods eyes playing three majors in next three months
- ·Leverkusen beat Roma to put one foot in Europa League final
- ·Best smart home deals this week
- ·了解福彩知识 参与有奖问答
- ·UN Security Council to meet over North Korea missile launches: reports
- ·This 'Game of Thrones' moment was the biggest one on YouTube
- ·Essential Apps to Install on your Windows PC or Mac
- ·Spot the robot dog used by NYPD at crime scene
- ·Time will be ripe for dialogue with N. Korea before March: ex
- ·Over W2tr wasted for failing to prevent animal epidemics: lawmaker
- ·Police bust crypto scammer who received plastic surgery to evade arrest
- ·Here are all the major 5G data plans to go with your new iPhone 12
- ·22 Unusual Things You Can Find in the Desert
- ·Huawei Mate 40 Pro: Powerful new 5G chip, 90Hz display, still no Google services
- ·Woods eyes playing three majors in next three months
- ·Best free online courses from MIT
- ·采购商+48,英德红茶在泉城济南蹭蹭涨粉
- ·North Korea fires short
- ·Woman stabs husband to death ‘because he yelled at dog’
- ·Hugh Grant defines a popular British insult with the help of Donald Trump Jr.
- ·Tesla issues recall for 9,100 Model X cars
- ·Here's Wonder Woman just hanging with her Justice League boys