West Indies cricket great Michael Holding believes regulations against racism in sports will remain “just a plaster on the sore” as long because the society doesn’t unite to tackle the menace.
Asked about his views on the worldwide campaign against racism after the killing of African-American George Floyd within the US and various athletes taking a stand against it, Holding said racism in sports can’t be stopped by merely having tough rules.
“You will get racism, people will shout things at cricket grounds, football grounds, wherever, you cannot kill racism by tackling individual sports, you’ve got to tackle the society,” Holding, who took 249 wickets in 60 Tests for West Indies between 1975 and 1987, said in an Instagram chat on Sunday night.
“It is that the people from the society who attend these grounds and shout racist slogans or racist abuse at people. you’ve got to tackle it from the society itself, not the game,” the 66-year-old added.
Holding said the realisation has got to be within the society that it’s unacceptable to discriminate.
“Fine, sports can have their rules and regulations under which you enter the bottom, that’s just a plaster on the sore,” he said.
“The people within the society have gotten to know that it’s unacceptable, and once you tackle it within the society itself, it’ll not spill over in sport,” he added.
Holding’s compatriots Darren Sammy and Chris Gayle have spoken strongly against racism and supported the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign round the world.