PRESS RELEASE : British High Commission hosts Wimbledon finals screening [July 2024]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 July 2024.
The British High Commission hosted a screening of the Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles finals on 13 July in Delhi to celebrate the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament and the power of sport to bring people together.
The evening’s gathering included tennis fans from all walks of life, sports personalities, business as well as representatives from the All-England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), the organising body of the Wimbledon. India’s top seeded tennis player Ankita Raina also joined the screening.
Becks Buckingham, Minister Counsellor Political and Press, British High Commission, said:
Watching, playing, and celebrating sport is at the heart of British life, bringing together different genders, cultures, age groups and backgrounds around a shared passion. The UK is a melting pot of diverse cultures, and our sporting traditions reflects this. I’m particularly proud that we all came together to recognise and celebrate the achievements of amazing women athletes everywhere.
Further information
- The Wimbledon is the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament. The first Wimbledon championship took place in 1877 and the longest match was played in 2010 by John Isner (US) and Nicolas Mahut (France) lasting over 3 days.
- Each year 500,000 attendees flood through its gates over the two-week period, whilst the tournament is broadcast to more than 20 million tennis fans around the world in over 200 countries. In 2022, Wimbledon Smash App recorded 194,000 downloads, with 84% of these coming from India.
- Sport contributes £39 billion yearly to the UK economy and the UK sport industry employs more than half-a-million people.
