Australian Open 2022 – Djokovic Exempted Dahiya Not: Despite of ‘NOT BEING VACCINATED’, World No.1 Novak Djokovic has received a medical exemption to defend his Australian Open title. But India’s Aman Dahiya misses out for the same issue. Dahiya being a 17 year old is not vaccinated and is not allowed to participate in this year’s event. Follow AO2022 live updates on InsideSport.IN
Djokovic Exempted Dahiya Not: Dahiya, a 17-year old tennis player from Haryana had made it to the qualifiers of the Australian Open, however, has been denied the medical exemption and didn’t get the visa for the same.
Dahiya’s coach, Jignesh Rawal, speaking to InsideSport.IN, has accused the organizers of DOUBLE-STANDARDS.
Rawal added, “I can’t digest this. If Djokovic can be given exemption why not a Indian tennis player. Aman is only 17 – when we applied for visa he was not eligible for vaccine. How he could have got vaccinated? It’s shame he misses out on the tournament becuase of the double-standards by the organizers”
Australian Open 2022: Double standards as World No.1 Novak Djokovic allowed medical exemption, NOT India’s Aman Dahiya
- World No.78, Aman Dahiya, was denied entry by organisers as he was yet to be vaccinated. The teenage vaccination kicked off only earlier this week in India.
- The 17-year-old looked at options to get vaccinated in other countries but logistics and funding issues emerged as roadblocks.
Djokovic Exempted Dahiya Not: His coach Jignesh Raval of Altevol Tennis Academy in Ahmedabad has hit out at the Australian Open 2022 organisers.
“Djokovic can have special treatment on the court (like centre court priority), but the entry point has to be same. In this case, it is directly connected with a government law.
“But Aman can be collateral damage, and Djokovic cannot be.”
- Rawal expressed that he had requested the Organisers to start vaccination for teenagers.
- At first, they allowed quarantine but then they wrote back to be fully vaccinated.
- He went on to say that the kid went to play with blisters during ITF Asian B1 junior championships in Pune to go to the Australian Open.
- Aman has 15 ITF titles- 8 in single & 7 in doubles. He added that Dahiya’s father barely earns Rs 10,000 per month.
He further in a interview to TOI alleged that national federations or central or state governments denied any help.
“For one and half months we tried and reached out to all the authorities — AITA, SAI and Sports Authority of Gujarat. None of them stepped up. The message being sent out is (that) only a few privileged can have it. That is the sad part,” he signed off.
Australian Open 2022: Double standards as World No.1 Novak Djokovic allowed medical exemption, NOT India’s Aman Dahiya
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