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Summarised by Centrist
Security staff told Aucklander Joseph Erceg and his friend they could not enter the stadium to see Croatian player Donna Vekić, while wearing Croatian football shirts.
Erceg said he was told to “go to Kmart and buy a shirt”. The friends also had their flags confiscated despite no warning online or on their tickets.
The men were told the restriction related to a new policy introduced by the Women’s Tennis Association following the Bondi beach massacre in Australia.
The pair complied and entered the stadium wearing their shirts inside out. Once inside, they encountered other Croatian supporters who said they had been treated the same way, including an 82-year-old man who was asked to remove his shirt because he was seen as a “threat”.
“We were told it was because of geopolitical tensions in other countries and our shirts were too controversial and political,” Erceg said.
“What are they trying to achieve? It’s just not inclusive. It’s just wrong. You can’t support your team,” he said.
Tournament organisers for the ASB Classic later confirmed there is no rule banning national sports jerseys, and the event’s conditions of entry make no mention of such a restriction.
A large Filipino contingent was visible inside the stadium wearing national sporting gear while supporting Alexandra Eala, who went on to defeat Vekić.
Since the incident, Sports Minister Mark Mitchell has sought advice from Sport NZ, while tournament organisers have acknowledged the incident was the result of a security guard misinterpreting entry rules.
