Westmeath football star speaks out about racist abuse

Westmeath inter-county football star Boidu Sayeh has spoken about the racist abuse he received when he was younger and the importance of education in changing people’s attitudes.

Born in the west African country of Liberia, Boidu was brought to Ireland by his aunt and uncle when he was eight years old. During a discussion on racism on the Sunday Game at the weekend, he spoke about the abuse he suffered when he first came to Ireland.

“At the time I wasn’t used to it, it was something new to me. It felt normal.

“It felt like I’m being slagged, but it didn’t feel like it was an issue until I got a bit older and you’re hearing other stories and you think, ‘Wow, it is an issue’,” he told presenter Joanne Cantwell.

Stressing the importance of education in tackling racism, the Rosemount stalwart said that some of those who made racist comments to him in his early days in Ireland eventually became his friends.

"I got comments from kids when I was only about eight or nine and it upset me a lot.

"It was kinda, ‘go back to where you came from, you don’t belong here’.

“But the parents of those kids talked to them and told them it was wrong, they tried to help them and it was good for my mother and it was good for me as well to hear that.”

Speaking to RTÉ journalist Eoin Ryan earlier this month, Boidu said that he experiences no racism when he plays for his club.

“In Westmeath, I wouldn’t experience it at all playing club football,” he says. “I grew up playing the sport so at club level I’m playing with lads I went to school with or have played with the whole way through.

“It’s when you go to other counties where they are not used to seeing a black guy playing. If you’re in the big city, people might give you looks and say something under their breath. Even though there would be more black people in the big city.

“But when you’re in such a rural place, they already know who I am. There aren’t many black people here and everyone knows each other,” he said.