When all-time legends poured their hearts out on racism in life and sport

NEWDELHI: Earlier this week, former West Indies cricketer Michael Holding and Ebony Rainford-Brent, the first Black woman to play for England, delivered a powerful message on racism during the broadcast of the opening Test of a threematch series between England and the West Indies, delving deeply into their personal experiences of being discriminated against. “What people need to understand is that this thing stems from hundreds of years ago. The dehumanisation of the black race is where it started,” Holding said.

The Test match too saw playately ers from both sides offering their solidarity to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement that has gathered steam across the world following the police killing of George Floyd in the US. It was a powerful moment for a sport that began in conquered lands as a privilege of the British. Little did the Imperialists know just how passiontheir game would be embraced by their colonial subjects.

In many major sports across the world, athletes are now calling for systemic changes to tackle racism. FIFA, UEFA (football), ICC (cricket), PGA Tour (golf) and many others have actively supported BLM. “It hit me today that the worst thing I could say pertaining to... systemic racism is nothing,” said Tony Finau, an American golfer of Polynesian descent.

Football, too has thrown its weight behind the movement and with BLM reshaping public debate, this is an opportunity for Europe’s big leagues to take concrete steps to set a precedent for the rest of the world.