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March 18, 2016

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Cagers hurt in Chengdu fan fight

THREE players from Chinese Basketball Association side Liaoning Flying Leopards picked up injuries in a fight with local fans after their CBA finals game against the Sichuan Blue Whales in Chengdu.

Game 3 of the 2015-16 CBA finals was held in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, on Wednesday. Title favorite Liaoning lost to host Sichuan 104-109 to tall 1-2 behind in the best-of-7 series.

The incident happened after the match when Liaoning players were getting off the bus to walk into their hotel — both teams are staying in the same hotel. Video footage taken by witnesses showed a Liaoning fan making insulting gestures towards some Sichuan fans who were waiting for their team near the hotel entrance. The infuriated Sichuan fans started attacking the instigator.

Video footage showed that one Liaoning player, who had just gotten off the bus, joined the fight and began hitting the Sichuan fans. A few more Liaoning players then joined the brawl.

According to Chengdu Economic Daily, those involved included Liaoning player Guo Ailun’s father. Police then arrived on the scene to stop the fighting, the paper said, adding that two Sichuan fans and one hotel staff member were injured and taken to hospital.

“There was no security staff to maintain order when our players got off the bus,” Liaoning manager Yan Xiaoming told Liaoning Television Station.

“After the conflict started, some Sichuan fans attacked the fathers of two of our players, Guo Ailun and He Tianju. The players hit back when they saw their fathers being assaulted.”

Three injured Liaoning players — Guo, He and Liu Zhixuan — have flown back to Shenyang, capital of Liaoning in northeast China. He was said to have sustained a bone fracture in his palm.

The CBA declined requests for comments from media yesterday, though CBA officials have arrived in Chengdu to talk to both clubs. Any punishment for either clubs or players would likely be handed down after local police complete their investigation.

Game 4 in the tense finals series is scheduled for today in Chengdu and so far there has been no announcement to the contrary. “The three players have already gone back for treatment. I don’t know how the series will continue (in their absence),” said Yan.

Liaoning was runner-up in last year’s CBA finals to the Beijing Ducks, while Sichuan is making its maiden appearance in the championship series.




 

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