An insider who witnessed the China-Brazil basketball brawl at close quarters three days ago has given a very different version of events to the Chongqing Times.

Players from both the China and Brazil national basketball teams were involved in a mass brawl Tuesday. [Photo: Xinhuanet]

Players from the Chinese and Brazilian national basketball teams became involved in a massive brawl during their friendly international in Xuchang, Henan Province on Tuesday, forcing the match to be abandoned in the first quarter.

China's coach, Bob Donewald Jr, was quoted by sina.com as saying: "We really didn't want to pick a fight, but we had to protect ourselves. One of our players was sent to the hospital with concussion. The Brazilian behavior was unprofessional. This is not a national side, only a club team."

But the witness told a different story.

"Donewald was the one who goaded the Chinese players into fighting. The players had been pretty much normal until the coach's outbursts. Donewald was howling at the players and the referees from the first minute," said the witness.

"Chinese players Ding Jinhui and Zhang Bo carried out two ferocious fouls immediately after a timeout during which Donewald had said something to them," the witness said.

'Chinese players deliberately picked a fight'

"The Brazilian players applauded the fans as they walked off the court. But that was seen as a provocation by the Chinese players and they chased after them and attacked them again. They deliberately picked a fight," the witness said.

The match was abandoned and the Chinese side put on an in-house training session instead. But the spectators demanded their money back and the organizers have promised a refund.

The witness spoke on condition of anonymity.

Related

• National team cannot afford to continue losing its cool
• CBA suspends men's team after serious brawl
• A Decade of Team China Basketball Brawls
• China-Brazil game descends into mass brawl

Go to Forum >>0 Comments