USA vs China
| August 24, 2011 | Posted by Errol Waters under sport |
Georgetown University, a minor basketball team in the USA, recently decided to go on a small tour of China to play a few of the professional sides there. It was hoped that not only would it help the team practise and keep match-fit, but that it would also help strengthen the bond between the normal people of the world’s two biggest economic super powers, as they could go to watch these friendlies knowing there would be some competitiveness as in all sport, yet it would be more a “goodwill” game in which the different teams showcased their players and ability.
How wrong this was. Georgetown had casually defeated the Chinese team Shangxi Dragons the night before in a calm affair, however the next day’s match against the Shanghai Bayi Rockets was to turn out differently. The game itself had been rough from the start, with the referee awarding 39 fouls by half time, and the aggressive tactics by the Chinese team apparently seemed to frustrate the Americans as tempers began to flare.
The bench clearing brawl started as two players challenged on the floor for the ball, in which the American lost, but then as he got up he appeared to be blocked or knocked by another player, which led to him throwing a punch. All players of both teams ran into this mass brawl and punches, kicks and tables were thrown; in one incident a Bayi Rocket player is seen to be sat on a guy repeatedly punching him.
As the fight broke up and members of both teams went their separate ways, the Chinese fans threw plastic bottles and tables at the Georgetown players in disgust. So from what was meant to strengthen relations between two countries, this incident will have instead put some people on edge as they try thinking up conspiracies over why the fights broke out, other than just pure sporting tempers and determination. On the plus side however, it was all sorted the next day as signed balls were handed over from both teams, clearly showing everyone was fine with the situation and the mere scuffle is forgotten and in the past.
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