French Sports activities minister Amelie Oudea-Castera says Novak Djokovic’s political message about Kosovo was “not applicable” and has warned the Serbian celebrity he shouldn’t repeat it.
Talking on TV station France 2, Ms Oudea-Castera mentioned French Open director Amelie Mauresmo spoke with Djokovic and his entourage to insist on the precept of “neutrality” on the sector of play.
“In the case of defending human rights and bringing individuals collectively round common values, a sportsperson is free to take action,” she mentioned.
However Ms Oudea-Castera added that Djokovic’s message was “militant, very political” and “should not be repeated”.
Djokovic has drawn criticism from Kosovo’s tennis federation after providing his ideas on clashes in northern Kosovo between ethnic Serbs and police and NATO peacekeepers.
After a French Open first-round victory in Paris on Monday, Djokovic wrote in Serbian on the lens of a courtside TV digicam: “Kosovo is the guts of Serbia. Cease the violence.”
Kosovo’s tennis federation mentioned Tuesday that Djokovic’s feedback have been “deplorable” as a result of he was stoking tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.
A former province of Serbia, Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence will not be recognised by Belgrade.
Ethnic Albanians make up a lot of the inhabitants, however Kosovo has a restive Serb minority within the north of the nation bordering Serbia.
Djokovic, who has received 22 grand slam titles, was scheduled to play within the second spherical at Roland Garros on Wednesday.
Chatting with reporters in Serbian, Djokovic mentioned Monday that he thought what he wrote on the TV digicam was “the least I may do. I really feel accountability as a public determine … in addition to a son of a person who was born in Kosovo.”
With out mentioning Djokovic by identify, French Open organisers indicated in an announcement issued Tuesday that no guidelines had been damaged, saying: “Sometimes, discussions about worldwide information occasions enter the realm of the event, which is comprehensible.”