There are icons or stars in various sports arenas, be it tennis, cricket, football etc. They have through diligence and perseverance created an aura of invincibility around themselves and they are revered not only in their countries but across the globe as well. However, there are some questions regarding such players that warrant an immediate response: Are they bigger than the sports they play? Do their iconic statuses make them impervious to the existing laws? These queries somehow ideally fit two players from two different sporting arenas and continents like a glove. They happen to be world no 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic and the poster boy of cricketing world Virat Kohli.
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Firstly, let us deal with Djokovic. The Serb has been in news for the last two weeks over his anti-vaccine stance endangering his Australian Open participation. The Australian Government is firm on its stand that no foreigner can enter the country without getting an anti-covid jab, provided he or she proves that his or her medical conditions are unsuitable for receiving the vaccine.
The Serb’s opposition to inoculation is a well-known fact and he also failed to provide a valid ground for an exemption from the vaccine mandate in Australia, which resulted in his initial detention. So, after an intense tussle between Djokovic’s lawyers and the Australian Government over the issue, “Djoker”, finally, finds himself out of the tournament as the country refuses to bow down before the Serb’s iconic status in the Tennis world and prioritizes the collective welfare of its citizens. Is Australia wrong in deporting the numero uno tennis player? Well, the answer is a clear no.
“I respect him as a person. Of course, a lot as an athlete. Even if I don’t agree with his way of thinking about how to proceed with this pandemic, I really believe in vaccination…and when you make your decisions then there is some consequences…We did a lot of things together. I think positive things for our sport and I wish him well,” said tennis legend Rafael Nadal on the whole saga surrounding the Serb.
“If you are to be vaccinated to enter my country, then that is it. It’s what it is and nobody should try and wipe off the law. As Djokovic says, the choice to take the vaccine is yours, but then so are the consequences,” said, former Indian Tennis player Vijay Amritraj on the events unfolding in Australia before the Grand Slam event.
These statements and there are several others as well, make it absolutely plain that rules are meant for all and nobody can defy those, not the least due to his status. Djokovic is undoubtedly one of the greats of the game but that does not mean he has the freedom to flout the norms. Some would argue that personal or individual choices need to be respected, but what if they imperil a wide number of people and Australia has seen a spike in Covid cases in recent times. In such circumstances collective good needs to be prioritized over individual choices, considering the humongous cost the pandemic has so far exacted from the whole world.
Now, coming to the next player, who is not just a famous batsman but a role model for budding cricketers worldwide. The former captain, Virat Kohli had been on an extended honeymoon in the Indian cricket establishment till 2020. But for the last one year or so the ground beneath him began to shake and he was even made aware that he is also accountable for his actions. So, his resignation as the captain from the longest format is not only the end of an era but also a realization that the honeymoon period was completely over.
Just like on-field Kohli does not like to be dominated by anyone off it as well. Once the BCCI boss Sourav Ganguly was back in his elements and started flexing his muscles in the affairs of Indian cricket Virat’s discomfiture with the incumbent administration only grew stronger. This explains why he relinquished his crown and decided to be a mere servant of the game. So, his decision to give up the only remaining crown on his head is due to the reality that he is no longer the “King Kohli” in the cricketing matters he used to be.
“He was uncomfortable when Anil Kumble was the coach and once Shastri and the support staff came in, he felt comfortable and was able to enjoy his captaincy. The new coach (Rahul Dravid) is no Ravi Shastri. He would have got some inkling of the kind of support he was going to get from him. Clearly, a guy who finds himself outside his comfort zone,” former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar could not have been more appropriate.
So, these instances involving two sporting icons prove that the games they represent are bigger than the individuals concerned. The players, irrespective of their stature, are an important part of the sports universe, not a world unto themselves. Djokovic’s aversion towards vaccine cost him an important Grand Slam event and Kohli’s arrogance and high-handed approach brought his impregnable fortress down in a jiffy. Therefore, it is in their best interests to realize that both are sporting ambassadors and not the unchallenged rulers they thought them to be. There is also a vital lesson for those sailing in the same boat as that of the Serb and Indian in the tragic sagas involving the duo.
