Monday, June 8, 2026
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

    717 Killed In Haj Stampede, Worst Tragedy In 25 Years

    717 Killed In Haj Stampede, Worst Tragedy In 25 Years
    An Indian woman from Telangana was among the 717 people killed on Thursday in a horrific Haj stampede in Saudi Arabia, the worst tragedy to hit the world's holiest Muslim pilgrimage in 25 years.

    717 Killed In Haj Stampede, Worst Tragedy In 25 Years

    Breast-Feeding In Public: US Library Apologises To Indian Origin Woman Sherry Singh

    Breast-Feeding In Public: US Library Apologises To Indian Origin Woman Sherry Singh
    Sherry Singh, a regular visitor at the Forest Hills library, was last weekend told to stop feeding her child in the library and breast-feed her four-month-old daughter in the restroom.

    Breast-Feeding In Public: US Library Apologises To Indian Origin Woman Sherry Singh

    Narendra Modi Connects With Indian Diaspora In Ireland, Promises More Visits

    Narendra Modi Connects With Indian Diaspora In Ireland, Promises More Visits
    Modi, who is on a day-long visit to Ireland, in his address to a crowded reception by the Indian diaspora apologised for not being able to give the Indian-origin people more time.

    Narendra Modi Connects With Indian Diaspora In Ireland, Promises More Visits

    Indian Sailors Stranded Off Sharjah Coast For Eight Months

    Indian Sailors Stranded Off Sharjah Coast For Eight Months
    Seventeen Indian sailors and their captain have been stranded on a ship anchored off the Sharjah coastline for the past eight months, a media report said on Wednesday.

    Indian Sailors Stranded Off Sharjah Coast For Eight Months

    Indian-Origin Artist Tiffany Singh's Work To Be Displayed In New Zealand

    Indian-Origin Artist Tiffany Singh's Work To Be Displayed In New Zealand
    An Indian-descent artist's works based on her understanding of Buddhism will be put on display at Auckland's Fo Guang Shan Temple and Malcolm Smith Gallery from September 27 to November 19

    Indian-Origin Artist Tiffany Singh's Work To Be Displayed In New Zealand

    Nova Scotia Man Detained In Colombia For Allegedly Smuggling Cuban Immigrants

    Nova Scotia Man Detained In Colombia For Allegedly Smuggling Cuban Immigrants
    Colombian authorities say they have arrested a Canadian boat captain for allegedly transporting 28 illegal Cuban immigrants, including two babies.

    Nova Scotia Man Detained In Colombia For Allegedly Smuggling Cuban Immigrants