Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
International

Sikh Man Kicked Out Of Wimbledon Queue For 'Making People Uncomfortable'

IANS, 13 Jul, 2016 12:45 PM
    A 20-year-old Sikh man was kicked out of an overnight queue to watch the Wimbledon tennis championships as he apparently made other people around him "uncomfortable".
     
    Govindpal Kooner took to Facebook last week to voice his anger at being thrown out and claimed it was an act of racism, cases of which have reported a rise in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the European Union (EU).
     
    He wrote on Friday: "Kicked out of the overnight camping line for centre court Wimbledon line 'because you make some people around you uncomfortable, so we're gonna have to report you and ask you to leave immediately, sir'".
     

    "Post-Brexit racism and the overt rise of neo-facism. Please advise how best to report this," he said.
     
    The sportsman who himself dreams of playing professional tennis was eventually allowed to enter the ground after re-queuing in the line a few hours later and made an official complaint about his treatment.
     
    "I felt awful. I felt like I should've fought and negotiated but I backed down and silently left. I don't feel like I'm ever going back now. It's still one of my favourite tournaments but can no longer definitively say it's a lifelong dream to play on centre court," he was quoted as saying by Metro.
     
    Dozens of people responded to his post saying he should report the "discrimination" to police.
     
    A Wimbledon spokesperson said: "We can confirm that a gentleman was asked to leave the queue at 4.42 am this morning (Friday) after a number of complaints from his fellow queuers about his behaviour."
     
    He has previously been warned about his conduct in The Queue on up to six separate occasions during this year's Championships.
     
    "We do acknowledge, however, that in this instance the event safety staff could have provided a better explanation to him. Happily, the same person has been in the Grounds today (Friday) watching the tennis," he said.
     
    But the man insists he did nothing that would warrant being escorted off the grounds, was not intoxicated, loud or aggressive and had not been previously warned about his behaviour.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Pakistani-Origin Man Jailed For Shouting 'Allah-O-Akbar' On Plane

    Pakistani-Origin Man Jailed For Shouting 'Allah-O-Akbar' On Plane
      Shehraz Sarwar caused alarm with his behaviour during turbulence on-board an Emirates Boeing 777 from Dubai to Birmingham

    Pakistani-Origin Man Jailed For Shouting 'Allah-O-Akbar' On Plane

    New Art Exhibit 'Sikh Project' To Explore Sikh Identity In Post-9/11 US

    New Art Exhibit 'Sikh Project' To Explore Sikh Identity In Post-9/11 US
    The exhibition will highlight the aesthetic of the Sikh articles of faith, including the turban and beard.

    New Art Exhibit 'Sikh Project' To Explore Sikh Identity In Post-9/11 US

    UK Woman, 60, Wins Petition To Use Dead Daughter's Eggs To Give Birth

    UK Woman, 60, Wins Petition To Use Dead Daughter's Eggs To Give Birth
    A 60-year-old woman in the UK who wants to use her dead daughter's frozen eggs to give birth to her own grandchild today won a Court of Appeal battle.

    UK Woman, 60, Wins Petition To Use Dead Daughter's Eggs To Give Birth

    Body Of Man Found In Debris Field Of Mississauga, Ont., House Explosion: Police

    TORONTO — Police say the body of a man has been found in the debris field of a house explosion west of Toronto — the second body found since Tuesday's blast.

    Body Of Man Found In Debris Field Of Mississauga, Ont., House Explosion: Police

    Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Launches Campaign For Diwali Stamp In US

    Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu to be elected to the US Congress, has launched a signature campaign to ask the country's postal service to issue a stamp for recognising Diwali as a special day.

    Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard Launches Campaign For Diwali Stamp In US

    4 Indian-Americans Honoured With Great Immigrants Award

    4 Indian-Americans Honoured With Great Immigrants Award
    Four Indian-Americans, including Google CEO Sunder Pichai and McKinsey's Chairman of the Americas Vikram Malhotra, are among 42 eminent professionals honoured with a prestigious immigrants' award for their role in strengthening the country and its democratic society.

    4 Indian-Americans Honoured With Great Immigrants Award