Michael Holding awarded best pundit at British Sports Journalism Award

Michael Holding had delivered a powerful message against racism during last year's England-West Indies series, saying that blacks have been dehumanised and their accomplishments wiped off from a history "written by people who do the harm."

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Holding feels that the gesture of "taking a knee" should be organic rather a "tick the box" exercise but he doesn't believe in telling people what their choices should be. (FILE)

West Indies cricket great Michael Holding, who came out in support of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, has been named the ‘Best Pundit’ at the SJA British Sports Journalism Award 2020.

Holding had delivered a powerful message against racism during last year’s England-West Indies series, saying that blacks have been dehumanised and their accomplishments wiped off from a history “written by people who do the harm.”

The awards were hosted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“It is something that has been in me and in my head for many, many years,” ‘Sky Sports’ quoted Holding as saying in his video acceptance speech.

“People don’t understand what it is like to go through life and always thinking that people think less of you than what you think of yourself,” he added.

Asked if he thinks that 2020 will play a vital role in bringing about change in social and racial equality, Holding said: “I believe so and I hope so.”

“If you just look at the protests on the road and look at the faces of the people that were on the road. I saw a Swedish women’s football team take a knee before a game, so it is going all over the world that people are recognising that things need to be done, and it’s about time it did.”

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BLM gained momentum in the wake of African-American George Floyd’s death at the hands of a white police officer in the USA in May last year.

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