A Sikh man is speaking out after he said he was denied entry to a Sacramento Kings game at Golden 1 Center for wearing his kirpan, a religious item.

Mandeep Singh, a 37-year-old community organizer in Sacramento for the Sikh nonprofit organization the Jakara Movement, said he was stopped earlier this week at security and told he couldn’t enter with his kirpan, a ceremonial dagger.

It was particularly surprising to him, he said, since he worked closely with the team as an ambassador for community engagement to bring in fans from the local Sikh community on several occasions. He had been invited to a Holi-themed night at the arena the week prior.