Darren Sammy reveals Racist Abuse by Sunrisers Hyderabad

Darren Sammy has raised eyebrows after he released a video, saying that he was subjected to racist abuse from his teammates while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2013 and 2014.

This comes after he found out the meaning of the word ‘kalu’, a slur which means dark-skinned.

Sammy alleged that the word was used when referring to him and Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera when the pair played for the Indian Premier League team.

The revelation initially led to confusion as Sammy did not say who had called him the word.

However, he released an Instagram video, revealing that the slurs came from his own teammates. Sammy went on to say that he will need an apology from them as he considered them friends.

The caption said: “Knowledge is power. So recently I discovered a word that I was being called was not what it actually meant, I need some answers.

“So before I start calling out names I need these individuals to reach out and please tell me there’s another meaning to that word and when I was being called it, it was all in love.”

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBL-fuglF6o/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

In the video, Darren Sammy said:

“I have played all over the world and I have been loved by many people.

“I have embraced all the dressing rooms where I have played, so I was listening to Hasan Minhaj as to how some of the people in his culture describe black people.

“This does not apply to all people, so after I found out a meaning of a certain word, I had said I was angry on finding out the meaning and it was degrading, instantly I remembered when I played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2013-14.

“I was being called exactly the same word which is degrading to us black people.”

When he was being called the word, he did not know the meaning of it and he thought it was not degrading as his teammates used to laugh whenever he was called that name.

Sammy added: “I will be messaging those people, you guys know who you are.

“I must admit at that time when I was being called using that word, I thought the word meant strong stallion or whatever it is.

“I did not know what it meant, every time I was called with that word, there was laughter at that moment, I thought teammates are happy, so it must be something funny.

“Now, I realise that it wasn’t funny. I realise it was degrading, I will be texting you guys and I will ask you as to when you called me with that name, did you all mean it in any bad way or in a degrading way?

“I have had great memories in all my dressing rooms, so all those who used to call me with that word, think about it, let’s have a conversation, if it was in a bad way then I would be really disappointed.”

Darren Sammy’s revelation comes after the killing of George Floyd at the hands of the police. Sammy has been a vocal supporter of the ongoing protests.