VIDEOS circulating on the internet show tennis star Marcos Baghdatis chanting anti-Turkish slogans with the alleged ringleader of Tuesday night’s violent confrontation at the Australian Open tennis tournament.
Several clips on the YouTube video-sharing website show Baghdatis at a barbecue hosted by the Hellas Fan Club, whose members were at the centre of a violent clash with police. The unruly fans were hit with pepper spray, with ten people evicted from Melbourne Park during a match between Greece’s Konstantinos Economides and Fernando Gonzalez of Chile.
It is not known when the barbecue was held, but several clips show Baghdatis singing, with his arm around fan club president Chris Vlahoyiannis.
According to Australian newspaper The Age, Vlahoyiannis was arrested at the stadium and is expected to be charged with assaulting police and resisting arrest. He has been banned from the rest of the Open.
In one video, Baghdatis, who yesterday beat former champion Marat Safin, holds a burning flare above his head and sings with a group of fan club members, including Vlahoyiannis, a chant condemning Turkish occupation.
“Turks out of Cyprus,” the group chants twice, after finishing singing the Greek national anthem.
In another video, apparently at the same barbecue, Baghdatis, draped in a Cypriot flag, watches supporters as they serenade him.
“Baghdatis, I love you, wherever you are, I will follow you, we will go here and there, whatever will happen we will be together,” the group sang.
Earlier in the tournament, Baghdatis defended the conduct of the Greek supporters. “I heard that the police came in and just started spraying, so I didn’t think the fans did anything wrong,” he said. “They were just chanting loudly, maybe they were a bit drunk, but that’s all,” he was quoted as saying by the Australian paper.
Vlahoyiannis has been condemned for his behaviour tennis by members of the Greek community.
But a statement on the Hellas Fan Club website said a ‘serial pest tag’ was unfair.
The club said Vlahoyiannis, “has acted responsibly and rationally and brought enormous colour to sporting events throughout Australia.”
The club’s Australian arm is part of a worldwide network of supporters of Greek athletes.
