Celebrated Sri Lankan cricketer claims Ryanair staff at Dublin Airport were ‘discriminatory’

Former Sri Lanka cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara has accused Ryanair staff of threatening and discriminating against his family at a Dublin airport, sparking a social media debate. In a tweet on Wednesday, Sangakkara described his encounter with the airline's gate personnel as shocking and his first unpleasant experience in Dublin, Ireland's capital city.

"Has anyone experienced discriminatory gate personnel @Ryanair in Dublin? I, with my family, just did and it was shocking," he wrote. Sangakkara's post garnered reactions from fellow Sri Lankan Sanjiva Weerawarana, who shared his own experiences of discrimination while living and traveling abroad. "Kumar, I have experienced discrimination in every part of the West.

I lived there for 16 years, travelled back and forth for another 25 and now I'm done," Weerawarana replied. Sangakkara acknowledged the distress such encounters can cause, stating, "It's quite jarring when you experience it." The incident has reignited discussions about anti-Asian racism and xenophobia in Ireland, ranging from everyday prejudice and online abuse to physical assaults.

As of now, Ryanair has not responded to Sangakkara's allegations. Sangakkara, a former Sri Lanka cricket captain, has had a distinguished career in the sport. He retired from international cricket in 2015 after playing 134 Test matches and scoring 12,400 runs, including 38 centuries and 52 half-centuries. In One Day Internationals (ODIs), Sangakkara played 404 matches, amassing 14,234 runs at an impressive average of 41.9.

His highest score in ODIs was 169, and he scored 25 centuries and 93 half-centuries in his international career.