Game bans, fines handed out for basketball league brawl

TDT | Manama                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com   

The Bahrain Basketball Association (BBA) has handed out multi-game suspensions and fines totalling more than BD4,000 to players and officials involved in a recent ingame brawl between Al Najma and Bahrain Club.

The decisions were announced by the BBA’s disciplinary committee following the incident, which resulted in the ejection of 17 players from both clubs in their week 11 contest of the 2022/2023 Zain Bahrain Basketball League held earlier this month.

Najma’s American professional Nick Ward was banned 10 games and fined BD1,000, while teammate Hussain Mohammed was suspended for five games and fined BD300.

Najma coaching staff member Hani Alam was also suspended for four games and fined BD400.

For Bahrain Club, Sadiq Shukrallah and Mohammed Khaled were suspended for 10 games each and fined BD1,000 apiece, while Ismail Hassan was given a five-game ban and a BD300 fine.

Team administrator Saleh Al Khanna was suspended for three games and handed a BD400 fine.

The fight broke out with just over six minutes played in the first quarter and Najma leading 20-15.

As seen on limited game footage streamed live on social media, the conflict started between two players, punches were thrown and the benches cleared, with other players and officials from both teams getting involved, some of whom were trying to diffuse the situation.

Following a lengthy delay, those involved in the melee were ejected from the game and only five were left to continue—three for Najma and two for Bahrain Club.

Najma went on to make the most of their one-man advantage and claim a 134-77 win.