Novak Djokovic threatens crowd that booed him at Wimbledon
Novak Djokovic, the reigning Wimbledon champion and a four-time consecutive winner of the tournament, has faced an unexpected challenge from the crowd during his first two matches at this year's Championships. Known for his dominance on the court and his pursuit of tennis history, Djokovic arrived with the aim of joining Roger Federer in the record books for the most title wins at SW19 in the Open Era.
However, the Serbian player was left disgruntled by the reaction of the spectators, who booed him during his matches against Pedro Cachin and Jordan Thompson. Despite securing straight-set victories in both encounters, Djokovic appeared visibly distracted as the majority of the Centre Court crowd rallied behind his opponents. While he has faced hostile conditions from the crowd throughout his career, the cheers against him seemed particularly difficult for him to accept.
In a statement to Serbian media, Djokovic expressed his frustration but also found motivation in the situation. He remarked, "They're actually doing me a favor. The more they cheer against me, the better off I am. With me, they wake up to something they might not want to see - a winner. As a player, you want to have the majority of the crowd on your side, I don't want to play in a belligerent atmosphere."
While Djokovic admitted that he often finds himself in such situations, where the crowd supports his opponents, he acknowledged that it can be challenging to accept at times. However, he also recognized the spectators' right to cheer for his rivals. Djokovic's reaction at the end of his match against Thompson, where he cupped his hand over his ear, reflected his disappointment and desire to respond to the crowd's behavior.
The experience of facing adversarial crowds is not new to Djokovic, as it has occurred in major tournaments around the world. Nevertheless, he views it as an opportunity to find additional motivation and elevate his game. He stated, "It gives me fuel and additional motivation, it inspires me to play even better."
In the upcoming third round, Djokovic will face his familiar rival Stan Wawrinka. Although Wawrinka trails Djokovic 6-20 in their head-to-head encounters, he has emerged victorious in four of their last five Grand Slam meetings. The match promises to be an intriguing battle between two formidable competitors.
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Choose faith or future: BJP alleges 'second-class treatment' of Hindus in K'natka CET row
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday accused the Karnataka Congress government of being "anti-Hindu" and following double standards after students appearing for the Common Entrance Test (CET) were allegedly asked to remove their 'janeu'.
A political row erupted after five Brahmin students were allegedly forced to remove the thread, considered sacred and worn across the torsos, at a city college in during the CET on Friday.
Students alleged that the invigilators at Madivala asked them to remove their janeu/yajnopaveetha if they wanted to write the exam.
In a video post on X, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla lambasted the act.
"Is it a crime to be a Hindu in Karnataka? In Karnataka, students were stopped from entering the examination hall for wearing a janeu and were given a brutal option -- choose your faith or your future. This happened last year as well," Poonawalla alleged.
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He accused the Karnataka government of practising double standards and engaging in appeasement politics.
"In Karnataka, we have seen the politics of appeasement. Muslim reservation, a Muslim-only budget, and quotas and contractual work for Muslims. But Hindus have to remove their sacred thread if they want to take an exam, which even the courts have, by the way, allowed," he alleged.
He accused the Congress government of adopting a similar approach in other states where it is in power, while allowing hijab and burka in classrooms.
"It has happened in various Congress-ruled states. We have seen that the Congress party advocates the right to hijab and burkha within the classroom. They say this should be allowed. Even the courts have overruled it.
"But in the case of janeu, they want it to be removed. This is not the first time this has happened. In Telangana and other states, the tilak and mangalsutra were removed. But hijab is fine. This is the kind of second-class treatment being given to Hindus," he added.
Poonawalla said the Congress should rename itself from INC to "MMC -- Muslim League Maowadi Congress" or the "Islamic National Caliphate Party".
As the controversy took a political turn, the college suspended the invigilator pending inquiry. The government also ordered a probe.
The police registered a case and detained three staff members of Krupanidhi College who were in charge of examination checking for questioning, officials said.
A similar incident took place last year in Karnataka, following which the government directed that the candidates would not be asked to remove the janeu while appearing for the CET.
