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Carlos Alcaraz beats Novak Djokovic to win Wimbledon men’s title
Carlos Alcaraz won the Wimbledon men’s singles title for the first time by ending Novak Djokovic’s recent dominance with a stunning victory.
Spain’s Alcaraz, 20, fought back from a nervy start to win 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 against the defending champion. Djokovic was going for a fifth straight win, an eighth men’s triumph and a 24th major – all record-equalling feats. But the 36-year-old Serb was outlasted by top seed Alcaraz, who underlined his class by winning a second major title.
“It is a dream come true for me,” Alcaraz, who was playing in only his fourth grass-court tournament, said. “Even if I lost, I would have been proud of myself. To be able to play in these stages of these occasions – as a boy of 20 years old – is really fast. “I’m really proud of myself.”
Alcaraz, who won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open last year, celebrated by falling flat on his face after taking his first match point and kicking a ball into the crowd.
The majority of a packed Centre Court, which included the Prince and Princess of Wales, actor Brad Pitt and two-time winner Andy Murray, rose to their feet to acclaim the All England Club’s newest champion.
As tradition now dictates, Alcaraz ran up the stairs from the court to his box and embraced coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, along with his family and friends.
Alcaraz is the third youngest man to win the Wimbledon title in the Open era after 17-year-old Boris Becker in 1985 and 20-year-old Bjorn Borg in 1976.
“You never like to lose matches like this but I guess when all the emotions are settled I have to still be very grateful,” said 23-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, who broke down in tears during his on-court speech. “I won many tough matches here. Maybe I have won a couple of finals I should have lost so maybe this is even-steven. “It is a tough one to swallow when you are so close. I lost to a better player, I have to congratulate him, and move on – stronger hopefully.”
Fantastic final proves to be a feast
Before an eagerly anticipated men’s final between the top two seeds, Djokovic further ramped up the excitement by predicting a “feast” between a pair with equally “hungry” appetites for success.
A compelling contest – full of quality, drama and momentum swings – lived up to the hype.
The pair have been two of the leading players on the ATP Tour this year and jostled for position as the world number one. Djokovic won the Australian Open and French Open this year to move ahead of Rafael Nadal’s tally of 22 major titles, knowing another victory would equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 victories. At the opposite end of the career scale, Alcaraz was aiming to prove not all of the younger generation can be overawed by Djokovic’s greatness.
The Spaniard had already been dealt a chastening experience when facing Djokovic, having suffered body cramps during their French Open semi-final last month because he was so overcome by nerves.
One of the plotlines going into the Wimbledon final centred on Alcaraz’s state of mind.
Alcaraz was confident that fear was out of his system going into Sunday’s showpiece – but that did not look to be the case in a one-sided first set, which Djokovic won after just 34 minutes.
Djokovic suffocated his opponent with his deep and consistent returning, forcing Alcaraz into hurrying his shots and making too many mistakes. Alcaraz slowly grew into the contest, finding more rhythm with his groundstrokes and introducing an increasing number of the drop shots for which he is becoming known.
After turning the deficit into a lead, helped by edging a mammoth 27-minute game early in the third set, Alcaraz produced two loose errors at a crucial time in the fourth and Djokovic went on to level. However, Alcaraz’s composure returned in the decider. He broke for a 2-1 lead which led to Djokovic smashing his racquet on the net post and, continuing to play with power and variety, served out a stunning victory after four hours and 42 minutes.
(BBC Sports)
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
