Decorations outside the Ralph Lauren shop on Bond Street. Wimbledon fortnight starts today, opening to a capacity crowd for the first time since 2019. I haven't got a ticket this year so will be glued to the TV watching all the action. Of course, Wimbledon is not without controversy this year as unlike the other Grand Slams it has decided to ban players from Russia and Belarus because of the war in Ukraine. I know one concern was the use of propaganda by Russia if one of their players won the championship. However, I do think they could have come up with an alternative such as no presentation of trophies to Russians or media interviews. But then sporting events have to be at the bottom of the agenda when you consider the suffering going on in Ukraine today.
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I think of you and how excited you might be when Wimbledon comes around. I am not sure this year we will hear much about Australia, but I'd love to be wrong.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that Russia and Belarus are banned, since you are right that they would have used any wins as propaganda. Thanks for the information, and I hope you enjoy Wimbledon. :-)
ReplyDeleteHooray for the best 2 weeks of the year!!
ReplyDeleteSwitched on at 11am and had nearly an hour of chat and then 1 game in the Cam Norrie match and then it rained!
Back on now, think I shall use red button more - sometimes there's too much discussion and dissecting.
Difficult to distance sport from politics which is a shame but had they allowed Russians to play I think the reception they might have got as they appeared on the courts would have been hostile - and given Russia yet another thing to complain about.
A sports star shouldn't be punished because his country acts immorality. If that were the case, most sports people would be eliminated at one stage or another. But they should play as independents, with no flags and no national anthems.
ReplyDelete... and we've got the strawberries in the fridge ready! LOL!
ReplyDeleteWell Wimbledon and Strawberries just go so well together don't they.
Enjoy the tennis.
All the best Jan
I heard that alot of competitions have banned both Russian and Belarus competitors, sadly alot of people from those countries believe that the invasion was necessary, kinda sad really.
ReplyDeleteAn article was in our local paper today about how there are no rankings either. I have never got into watching tennis matches or many sports on TV for that matter except I do watch football with Dan in Fall and early winter.
ReplyDeleteAs the levels of suffering go during this dreadful conflict I don't think the banned players have too much to worry about.
ReplyDeleteExciting times, I guess I get it banning the Russians but it kind of damages the games themselves as well. I just remember all the times on Olympics when us or the Russians were boycotting.
ReplyDeleteEverything is political anymore, but I guess banning countries from sports events has happened in the past, too. I hope you have a good time watching from afar!
ReplyDeleteDon’t get me wrong, I abhor what Russia is doing, but I pause when young athletes are punished. We just had the Van Cliburn competition here in Ft. Worth with young pianists from all over the world. A young man from S. Korea took first ..second and third trophies went to Ukraine and Russia.
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