Snooker player takes a knee on live TV in George Floyd gesture
Post date: Jun 04, 2020 1:13:49 PM
A British snooker player showed his support for the Black Lives Matter movement when he took a knee before his match on Wednesday.
Alfie Burden was playing Ryan Day in the Championship League in Milton Keynes and made the gesture just before the match began.
The 43-year-old got down, kneeled and bowed his head, before getting up and raising both hands and pointing to the sky.
The player’s gesture was shown live on television, with the match being broadcast on ITV.
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Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, a number of athletes around the world have made gestures, protests and pledges of support.
With most sports on hiatus as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, protests have been predominantly outside of competitions. However, England’s Jadon Sancho was among four players to protest during Bundesliga fixtures in Germany last weekend, with Burden doing his own version in the UK.
The London-based snooker player was close to playing football professionally, having been part of Arsenal’s youth squad as a teenager. A broken leg ended a potential career in the sport and he turned professional
in snooker a few years after the injury
After the match Burden said: “This was my platform. I stand behind the fight against racism. It’s a disgraceful thing.
“The well-documented death of Floyd has touched everyone.
“There’s no place for racism in society.”
