Cancel the tennis

please! 

Those of you who know me well will also know that I take no interest in "sport". I get my physical exercise pushing the pedals on my tricycle. It is also my means of getting from A to B. I have never played any sport apart from "cricket" at a camp for children with disabilities. (It was my role to "bowl" the ball for the children who could not even do that. This was considered "fair" because I had similar problems to some of the other children who could throw a ball.)

Having now declared my interest, or lack of interest, in sport I will continue by saying that I find the amount some of the "top" players "earn" obscene. The way some are "bought" and "sold" in the sports marketplace is no better than the buying and selling of slaves in the Roman marketplace...or elsewhere. And being paid to "endorse" the goods of a company? Don't get me started on that one.

In the summer these people play tennis. Yes, I appreciate there is considerable physical skill involved. I would not want to "perform" in front of crowds of adoring and not so adoring fans. It must be dreadful to lose - and yes, we have seen some temper tantrums because of it. 

But this year should surely be different shouldn't it? Why are we bringing in people from overseas, people who do not need to be here, in the middle of a pandemic? Why are we allowing something like 1200 players and officials and support people to enter the country from places where the Covid19 virus is out of control? What is so urgent about a game of tennis that these people are willing to risk not only their own safety but the safety of an entire country by travelling here? 

Currently all the cases in this state are in quarantine. They are travellers returning from overseas. Quarantine is far from perfect and the virus has "escaped" into the community with devastating results.   Those using the virus as a political football and saying all residents of this country who are currently stuck overseas should be allowed home as soon as possible neatly avoid talking about that. Middle Cat's BIL nearly got stuck in Russia and did a fortnight's quarantine when he came back. He is lucky to be here. People who left it a few days before making inquiries are still stuck overseas and it may be months before they get here. It's hard on them, very hard. The problem however is that it is even harder on people here who have not been able to travel at all, not even to other parts of the country. Some have lost family and friends to the virus and might also be suffering the long term effects of the virus. 

I went to pick up a book from someone yesterday. She has serious long term health issues. Apart from hospital visits she has been nowhere for the past year. A tiny number of people have visited her but it has been done with great caution. She isn't very old. The young people of her generation are out and about and, all too often, ignoring the advice about social distancing and the rules about checking in. It has been really hard on her. It has been hard on four young people I know in a similar situation. All of them have been told they can't go back to university this year. It simply isn't safe. They may all have to rethink career plans if vaccination doesn't control the spread of the virus.  While they are very supportive of one another they are still missing out on the normal social activities that other young people enjoy. 

While they are in this position and getting almost no support the "tennis stars" are getting support - even those in strict quarantine are getting more support than these young people. Despite that they are making many complaints about the situation. Yes of course it is frustrating for them but is it  "unfair"? No. Other people need to be kept safe. They were advised about the potential risks of travel. I don't think they can really complain.

They really should have cancelled the tennis. If Downunder lost the right to host the "Grand Slam" too bad - and would that really have happened?