Hoppo’s Hairdryer

THE decision by Commonwealth Games organisers to permit athletes to protest about social injustice during awards ceremonies this summer is pathetic.

A load of old virtue-signalling pap designed to give relevance to a gathering, which, for years, now has been struggling for it.

There was a time two or three decades ago when the Commonwealth Games were, if not a must-watch, then not far from it.

But those days are long gone and permitting podium protests just seems like a desperate attempt at publicity.

Most of us still want to watch sport to get away from life’s more serious issues.

We don’t want to tune in to see what a shot-putter or claypigeon shooter thinks about the plight of a certain group.

This isn’t to say competitors shouldn’t use their platforms or voices to speak out on the things they feel passionate about.

But they all have social media accounts or can call press conferences anytime for that.

What if a competitor has just produced the performance of their life to win gold – but then gets upstaged by a bronze or silver medallist’s antics on the podium?

What a shame that all the blood, sweat and tears shed would have been overshadowed because of a terrible call from those in charge.

THE profanity-laden outburst and racketWorld smashing antics that saw No.3 Alexander Zverev

(above) kicked out of tennis’ Mexican Open were unsavoury, uncouth, unsporting and

uncalled for.

But, above all else, they were very, very

funny.