IMAGE: The world quantity three Novak Djokovic mentioned he was against any type of battle however defended his assertion and described Kosovo’s scenario as a “precedent”. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Kosovo Olympic authorities have requested the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to open disciplinary proceedings against Novak Djokovic, accusing the Serbian of stirring up political rigidity by saying “Kosovo is the guts of Serbia” on the French Open.
Djokovic wrote the message on a digital camera lens following his first-round win on Monday, the identical day that 30 NATO peacekeeping troops had been damage in clashes with Serb protesters within the Kosovo city of Zvecan — the place Djokovic’s father grew up.
Serbian authorities mentioned 52 protesters had been wounded within the clashes. The violence erupted after ethnic Albanian mayors took workplace in northern Kosovo’s Serb-majority space following elections that had been boycotted by the Serbs.
The world quantity three later mentioned he was against any type of battle however defended his assertion and described Kosovo’s scenario as a “precedent”.
“Novak Djokovic has but once more promoted the Serbian nationalists’ propaganda and used the game platform to take action,” Ismet Krasniqi, president of Kosovo’s Olympic Committee (KOK), mentioned in an announcement.
“The additional post-match statements made by such a public determine with none feeling of regret, immediately lead to elevating the extent of rigidity and violence between the 2 international locations,” he added, urging the IOC to research “by opening disciplinary proceedings against the athlete.”
France’s Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, whose nation will host the summer time Olympics in Paris subsequent yr, mentioned Djokovic’s message was “not acceptable, clearly”.
“There is a precept of neutrality for the sector of play. When you carry messages about defending human rights, messages that carry individuals collectively round common values, a sports activities particular person is free to specific them,” she informed French tv.
“But on this case, it was a message that may be very activist, that may be very political. You should not get entangled, particularly within the present circumstances, and it should not occur once more.”
Djokovic, chasing a file twenty third Grand Slam title, has mentioned he was not holding again and would do it once more. He is ready to play his second-round match in a while Wednesday against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics.
The IOC didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
On Tuesday, Kosovo’s tennis federation mentioned Djokovic’s feedback had been “regrettable”, accusing him of utilizing his standing as a well known persona to stir tensions.
NATO, which has some 4,000 troopers at present in Kosovo, will ship 700 additional troops to curb violence and put one other battalion on excessive alert as unrest has intensified.
