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The decision comes after a conflict in the stands when a person waved the Russian flag in the match of a Ukrainian tennis player
Jan. 17 () –
The organization of the Australian Open has banned the display of Russian and Belarusian flags following a clash on the court on the first day of the tournament after a Russian national displayed a flag of his country during a match by Ukrainian tennis player Kateryna Kozlova.
The fan waved a Russian banner in support of Kamila Rajimova, a Russian tennis player, when she faced Kozlova last Sunday in a match that the Ukrainian ended up winning. After showing the Russian flag, the Ukrainian supporters called security and the Police to come to the stands, causing a confrontation.
“The flags of Russia and Belarus are prohibited ‘in situ’ at the Australian Open,” the Australian Tennis organization said in a statement on Tuesday morning, according to the newspaper ‘The Age’.
“Our initial policy was that fans could bring them but they could not use them to cause a disturbance. Yesterday we had an incident in which a flag was placed on the track. The ban is effective immediately,” the organization detailed.
In this sense, he stressed that he will continue working with the players and fans to guarantee “the best possible environment to enjoy tennis”.
Earlier, Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasil Miroshnichenko, had asked the Australian Open organization to implement such a measure, appealing to the “neutral flag” policy.
“I strongly condemn the public display of the Russian flag
during today’s match of Ukrainian tennis player Kateryna Kozlova at the Australian Open. I call on Tennis Australia to immediately enforce its ‘neutral flag’ policy,” she said in a message on Twitter.
