Thailand’s Football Association has issued a lifetime ban on referee Somsak Poosomnuek, ruling that he had used racist language when talking to a football player.
Somsak was found to have used a racist slur on Thai-Ghanaian player Abdulkordiri Hamid during the Thai League 3 football match between Pattaya United and Prachinburi City on Oct. 29, following an investigation made by the association and police.
The association concluded that the slur, which literally translates to “black one” in English and is considered to be the N-word equivalent in Thai, amounted to racial discrimination, and that it had damaged the image of the football association in Thailand.
Somsak defended himself prior to receiving the ban, claiming he wasn’t using racist language and that he was merely referring to dark skin, which he, like many Thais, also has. He also said his friends…
