Tyson Fury declined to accept the honor

“I am the champion in everyone’s hearts. It is something that does not need to be verified or any awards honor,” Tyson Fury said in the video posted above. Instagram personal day 2/12. “I know who I am, and what I have done for boxing. I have received the love of the public, and it is more valuable than any other award. If you love me, please don’t vote in the poll. of the BBC“.

Fury’s statement came just a day after he got it BBC named as one of the six candidates for the title of Outstanding Athlete in 2020, along with Lewis Hamilton (F1), Jordan Henderson (soccer), Stuart Broad (cricket), Hollie Doyle (horse racing), and Ronnie O’Sullivan ( snooker).

This is the second time Fury has appeared on the shortlist of the most prestigious individual award due BBC Awarded. However, the 32-year-old boxer had a bad impression of this award from the first time, in 2015. At that time, the Olympic long-jump champion Greg Rutherford resigned from the race because he did not want to stand in the same yard. with Fury, who made a controversial comment about homosexuality.

BBC not going to Rutherford’s will, and neither was this time. “This list was decided by an independent panel of experts. They chose candidates based on their athletic performance over the past year. So Fury will still have a name,” said a representative of the news agency. The winner is the athlete with the most votes from the public. Fury has the right to refuse to participate in the live broadcast only. “

The award “excellent athlete” is BBC awarded annually since 1954. Andy Murray is the most honored, with three times topping number one.

This year’s awards ceremony was held on December 20, in Salford, Manchester. This year’s heavyweight candidate is Hamilton, the racer who has just leveled the legendary Michael Schumacher world record seven times.

Thang Nguyen (according to the Sports Mail)