|
By Lim Say Heng and David Lee
Footbrawl at Jalan Besar
Click on thumbnail to view. Photos: TNP, Benjamin Seetor |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Click here for more photos |
SIXTEEN players faced charges following the S-League foot brawl at Jalan Besar Stadium on Sept 7.
Six players from the Young Lions and 10 from Beijing Guoan Talent attended the disciplinary committee hearing which started at7pmyesterday and ended just past midnight at the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) headquarters at Jalan Besar.
The Beijing team is a feeder team of Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan.
The S-League game was abandoned in the 89th minute, after the players started fighting in the Beijing half.
Two Young Lions players, Faritz Abdul Hameed and Gabriel Quak, who both suffered from serious bruises, were sent to the Raffles Hospital. They were discharged the same night.
One Beijing player suffered a nose injury.
The FAS did not reveal the names of those who were charged, but it is believed that Khairul Nizam, Gabriel Quak, Fairoz Hasan, Safuwan Baharudinand Madhu Mohana were among the Young Lions who turned up for the hearing, while Zhang Ye, Li Tixiang, Cui Yu, Tang Miao and captain Su Boyang were the Beijing players involved.
Said lawyer K Balachandran, chairman of the disciplinary committee: "We finished with all but one player from the YoungLions.
"He is contesting the charge so we will be looking at the video evidence when we resume the hearing.
"The players were generally apologetic about their actions and hopefully we can come out with a verdict.
He added that one Beijing player will also be contesting the charge.
When The New Paper team arrived at Jalan Besar at about 6.20pm yesterday, the Chinese contingent - who were clad in white tops and green trackpants - were huddled at the stadium entrance.
The 10 players were accompanied by coach Zheng Xiaotianand team manager Yang Hongmin.
Ongoing
Both men declined comment, citing the ongoing investigations.
The group then walked into the FAS headquarters and headed for the third floor lounge, which served as a holding area. The disciplinary hearing started at 7pm, and it is learnt that the Beijing players faced the five-man disciplinary panel first.
The gathered media were barred from going up to the second-floor conference room, where the hearing took place, and were given strict instructions to wait on the ground level.
Except for brief periods where the players went to the toilet, it was all quiet at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Then about 10.30pm, the 10 Beijing players came down from the second floor, which sparked a media frenzy.
They were swarmed by reporters and photographers before they were ushered back up to the third floor.
At about 12.08am, the Young Lions came out of the hearing but declined comment.
The hearing will continue at 6.30pm today, where a verdict will be reached.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
| 
