KINGSTON, Jamaica – West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) president Wavell Hinds hailed former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding on winning the Sports Journalism Association (SJA) Best Pundit Award and the Royal Television Society (RTS) Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit Award for 2020 in the United Kingdom.
Holding won both awards for his powerful testimony about racial injustice in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd on Sky Cricket’s coverage of the first Test between England and West Indies in July last year.
“Michael Holding continues to be a true ambassador for the West Indies and cricket in general,” Hinds said in a media release.
“His frank, but measured commentary on social injustices in today’s world are well documented. WIPA congratulates him on the quality of his body of work.”
Holding recounted during a special presentation in the coverage of the match his first experience of racism while playing cricket, which happened on his first Tour of Australia.
He said he had experienced racism on several occasions throughout his life and went on to talk about how the George Floyd experience impacted him.
Holding also said that the time had come for institutional racism to be eradicated before humanity can move forward together.
The SJA said their award recognised Holding and Sky Sports for their “editorially superb coverage of a moment of huge significance” with Holding speaking out about racial injustice in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in May 2020.
The RTS said Holding “captured the mood of the event perfectly, bringing a personal perspective to bear on a moment of huge significance”. (AR)
