There has been a surge in anti-racism protests in America and beyond recently following several controversial incidents.
Alfie Burden became the first snooker player to publicly come out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement during a Championship League match on Wednesday.
The Englishman, the world number 75, took a moment near the beginning of his opening frame with Ryan Day at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
Burden put down his cue, leaned on one knee, and pointed to the sky in a show of solidarity.
The act of taking a knee first became popularised in sports in 2016 when star American football player Colin Kaepernick did it during the American national anthem in a protest against racial injustice.
The brutal murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week by a police officer has reignited the seemingly neverending struggle against racism – particularly in USA but also worldwide.
Burden, 43 and a former world amateur champion, retweeted the video of his actions on Twitter with the accompanied hashtags “#unityisStrength” and “#blacklivesmatter”.
The match was being broadcast live around the world on various TV channels and online platforms.
A classy touch by @ABOFLONDON #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/0yHCtBW3j5
— Championship League (@CLSnooker) June 3, 2020
The Championship League is snooker’s first tournament on the calendar since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
Incorporating a round-robin format, Alfie Burden won one of his three league matches, which proved not to be enough as he bowed out of the competition on the third day.
Day, who was Burden’s opponent, ended up topping the group with seven points from a possible nine, and the Welshman will compete in phase two of the competition next week.
World number one Judd Trump and five-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan are among some of the high-profile names participating.
