ジョコビッチ、コソボめぐる発言は「信念」　全仏ＯＰで物議

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】男子テニスで四大大会（グランドスラム）通算２２勝を誇るノバク・ジョコビッチ（セルビア）は３１日、全仏オープンで物議を醸しているコソボに関する発言について「それが私の信念」と述べ、断固とした姿勢を強調した。（写真はノバク・ジョコビッチ）
　ジョコビッチは５月２９日に行われた全仏オープン１回戦の試合後、テレビカメラに「コソボはセルビアの心臓だ。暴力をやめろ」と記し、セルビアメディアに対して、コソボはセルビアの「発祥の地であり、拠点」と述べていた。
　この日はマートン・フチョビッチ（ハンガリー）との２回戦に勝利後、「多くの人が反対するのは承知しているが、どうしようもないことだ。それが私の信念。それだけだ」とコメントした。
　この件について、国際テニス連盟はコソボテニス連盟から処分を要求する申請があったと明かしたが、グランドスラムのルールブックに「政治的発言を禁止する規定はない」と指摘し、今回のような発言は規則違反ではないと説明した。
　フランスのアメリー・ウデア・カステラスポーツ相は国営テレビのフランス２で、ジョコビッチが発したメッセージは「適切ではなく」、「政治的」だとし、ジョコビッチが「関わるべきではない」問題だと批判している。
　コソボ・オリンピック委員会（ＫＯＣ）のスポークスマンはＡＦＰに対し、ジョコビッチが政治的な緊張を「あおり」、「政治的中立に関する五輪憲章の根本原則に違反した」などと指摘し、ＩＯＣに書簡を送ったと明かした。ＫＯＣの会長も、ＩＯＣに対してジョコビッチへの懲戒手続きを開始するよう求めたと、委員会のフェイスブックに投稿した。
　コソボ北部では５月２９日、アルバニア系の市長が誕生したことに反発するセルビア系のデモ隊と北大西洋条約機構の平和維持部隊が衝突し、同部隊の３０人が負傷した。
　コソボは２００８年にセルビアからの独立を宣言したが、セルビア側は独立を認めていない。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/06/01-17:14）

Novak Djokovic defiantly insisted on Wednesday it's something I stand for regarding the controversy over his explosive comments about Kosovo earlier this week at the French Open.
On Monday, the 22-time Grand Slam champion wrote Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence on a TV camera after his first match at Roland Garros.
I would say it again, but I don't need to because you have my quotes, he said after making the third round on Wednesday with a straights sets win over Marton Fucsovics.
I'm aware that a lot of people would disagree, but it is what it is. It's something that I stand for. So that's all.
Djokovic had defended his message in comments to Serb media, saying that Kosovo is Serbia's cradle, our stronghold.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF), the governing body of the sport, said they had received a request from the Kosovo Tennis Federation demanding Djokovic be sanctioned over his actions.
However, they pointed out that such statements do not contravene regulations.
Rules for player conduct at a Grand Slam event are governed by the Grand Slam rulebook, administered by the relevant organiser and regulator. There is no provision in this that prohibits political statements, an ITF spokesman told AFP.
Djokovic was criticised for his comments about recent clashes in Kosovo by French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera who said he shouldn't get involved.
Oudea-Castera told broadcaster France 2 that Djokovic's message was not appropriate, clearly.
It was a message that is very activist, that is very political.
The Kosovo Olympic Committee (KOC) accused Djokovic of stirring up political tensions, a spokesman told AFP.
Djokovic breached the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter regarding political neutrality and involved yet another political statement in sports, the KOC wrote in a letter sent to the IOC on Tuesday.
KOC head Ismet Krasniqi sought that the IOC initiates disciplinary proceedings against Djokovic, said the letter posted on its Facebook.
Such behaviour cannot be tolerated as it sets a dangerous precedent that sports can be used as a platform for political messages, agendas and propaganda, the letter quoted Krasniqi as saying.
Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina said Djokovic should be free to say his opinion.
Svitolina, who has repeatedly spoken out over tennis' response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, believes players should be able to talk publicly about political issues.
We are living in the free world, so why not say your opinion on something?, said Svitolina.
I feel like if you stand for something, you think that this is the way, you should say.
I mean, if you are with a friend sitting, talking, you're going to say your opinion, he is going to say his opinion. So why not?
Thirty peacekeepers from a NATO-led force in Kosovo were injured in clashes with ethnic Serb demonstrators on Monday during protests about the installation of ethnic Albanian mayors in northern Kosovo.
Kosovo, mostly populated by Muslim ethnic Albanians, broke away from the then-Yugoslavia in the late 1990s and declared independence in 2008, in a move that has never been accepted by neighbouring Christian-majority Serbia or its ally Russia.