Monday, June 29, 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

    Political deadlock persists in Pakistan as army plays 'facilitator'

    Political deadlock persists in Pakistan as army plays 'facilitator'
    The talks between the government and representatives of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) failed to break...

    Political deadlock persists in Pakistan as army plays 'facilitator'

    Mysteries of space dust unlocked

    Mysteries of space dust unlocked
    A new analysis of space dust has revealed that the cosmic particles, wich are likely to have originated from beyond our solar system, are more complex in composition...

    Mysteries of space dust unlocked

    Pakistan government ready to file FIR against Sharif

    Pakistan government ready to file FIR against Sharif
    The Pakistan government Thursday said it was ready to lodge a first information report (FIR) against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, among others, in Lahore's Model...

    Pakistan government ready to file FIR against Sharif

    Shooting instructor killed as girl accidentally shoots in US

    Shooting instructor killed as girl accidentally shoots in US
    A shooting instructor was killed after a nine-year-old girld accidentally shot in the head at a gun range in the US, media reported Thursday....

    Shooting instructor killed as girl accidentally shoots in US

    Hindu temple may be razed in Pakistan

    Hindu temple may be razed in Pakistan
    A 79-year old Hindu temple in Rawalpindi may be razed to make way for an educational and housing complex, a media report said Thursday....

    Hindu temple may be razed in Pakistan

    UN health agency says Ebola cases underreported, could hit 20,000; US to test Ebola vaccine

    UN health agency says Ebola cases underreported, could hit 20,000; US to test Ebola vaccine
    GENEVA - The Ebola outbreak in West Africa eventually could exceed 20,000 cases, more than six times as many as are known now, the World Health Organization...

    UN health agency says Ebola cases underreported, could hit 20,000; US to test Ebola vaccine