West Indian cricketer Darren Sammy recently revealed that he has been a subject of racial discrimination while playing in the Indian Premier League. The 36-year-old disclosed that he was addressed as ‘Kalu’ by some of his teammates during his stint with SunRisers Hyderabad. The all-rounder expressed his disappointment and anger in a social media post after learning what the word actually meant. Darren Sammy Alleges Racism in IPL: Here’s What We Know About the Latest Controversy in Cricket.
The West Indian cricketer also asked his team-mates who used that term to come forward and apologies to him and admit that it was being called it in ‘love’ before he starts ‘calling out names’. Now recently, Sammy responded to a user on Twitter who informed the West Indian that the term ‘Kalu’ is not always a racial term but depends on the manner of its context. Darren Sammy Alleges Racism Within SunRisers Hyderabad Camp During IPL.
‘Darren Sammy Just so that you know, "Kaalu" is NOT always a racist slur. It'd also be an endearing term used in Indian families. My late grandma used to call me that. It depends on the context/tone. Yes, it could be racist. Not always,’ the user wrote.
To which the 36-year-old responded ‘So if there can be a racist slur to it I don’t think it should be used.’
See Tweet
So if there can be a racist slur to it I don’t think it should be used. https://t.co/PaaTco0ibs
— Daren Sammy (@darensammy88) June 10, 2020
Darren Sammy is not the only cricketer to reveal that he has been a subject of racial discrimination. Chris Gayle said he also has faced racial remarks over the years while former Indian batsman Aakash Chopra disclosed that he was referred to as ‘Paki’ while he was playing league cricket in England.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 11, 2020 03:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).