Thursday, January 06, 2022
Djokovic, Kimmich, Irving & Co.
Sports heroes are also vaccine skeptics
Tennis star Novak Djokovic is fatally skeptical about vaccinations in Australia. The authorities deny him entry. While most athletes are vaccinated, there are very prominent exceptions. Joshua Kimmich and Co. cause heated discussions.
Tennis top star Novak Djokovic is fighting against his deportation from Australia practically at the last minute after the cancellation of his entry visa. Lawyers of the world number one are now taking legal action against the expulsion, reports “The Age” among others. Judge Anthony Kelly assumes that Djokovic will spend the night in the quarantine hotel, as the court has not yet received a request from the lawyers. No decision is possible beforehand.
Djokovic is now in a quandary: He should play at the Australian Open, as he has a special permit for the tournament. But he is not allowed to enter because he has applied for a visa that does not allow for a medical exemption with regard to the vaccination regulations.
According to the Australian border authorities, the unvaccinated Serb has reignited the vaccination debate in sport. Competitive athletes have a great role model function for many people and are particularly in focus with a view to the corona pandemic. The decisions of prominent top athletes about vaccinations against the coronavirus therefore quickly become the focus of public debates. In addition to Djokovic, other athletes from different disciplines have expressed skepticism about corona vaccinations in the past few months, thus causing controversy.
Joshua Kimmich: A public discussion broke out last autumn about the professional footballer at FC Bayern. The 26-year-old confirmed in October that he has not yet been vaccinated. He would have “a few personal concerns, especially when it comes to the lack of long-term studies”. Other FC Bayern players were also not vaccinated, such as Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala. As a result, Kimmich had to be quarantined several times as a contact person until the association announced in November that Kimmich had tested positive for the corona virus. Due to lung problems, the player had to take a longer compulsory break. In December, the national player announced that he would like to be vaccinated. “In general, it was just difficult for me to deal with my fears and concerns, which is why I was undecided for so long,” he explains in an interview with ZDF.
Aaron Rodgers: The US football star Aaron Rodgers had claimed to be immunized last August – although he had not yet been vaccinated. The Green Bay Packers NFL quarterback contracted the coronavirus. The athlete later confessed on a TV show that he had not yet received a vaccination. Due to an alleged allergy to an active ingredient in the mRNA vaccines of the Covid vaccinations, the 38-year-old does not want to be vaccinated in the future. Rogders promotes alternative healing methods. There was also criticism because the league left the top star’s violations of the corona protocol unpunished for a long time.
Kyrie Irving: As one of the few unvaccinated NBA pros, Kyrie Irving was banned from the Brooklyn Nets for the start of the season. The multi-million dollar basketball star was originally only supposed to be allowed to play again after a vaccination. But now the turnaround: The club brought the 29-year-old back into the team – probably due to many failures of other players – now there was a comeback: In the 129: 121 away win at the Indiana Pacers, Irving scored 22 points. “It felt incredible,” said the 29-year-old player about his return after the game. “I don’t take that for granted.” However, because of the Corona rules in New York, Irving is not allowed to play home games.
Franziska Gritsch: The Austrian ski racer Franziska Gritsch announced on Instagram in November that she did not want to be vaccinated. So she decided against taking part in the World Cup race that took place in Killington, USA, at the end of November. In Europe it was only mixed for them in the World Cups. This week she has now tested positive for the coronavirus.