China's basketball chief Li Yuanwei has admitted the punishment for an ugly brawl in Yiwu earlier this month was too lenient, and that the sports governing body, the China Basketball Association (CBA), had a long way to go in improving discipline.

"We still have to make efforts to make the CBA's rules more professional. Compared to the NBA, the CBA is still in the early stages of development," Li told China Daily in Hangzhou at the weekend's opening ceremony of the Chinese Basketball Open (CBO), a year-long, nationwide tournament for amateur hoopsters.

"When chaos breaks out, the governing body, the clubs and the match officials should learn from their mistakes and try to improve," Li said.

On January 12th, rowdy spectators in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, clashed during a match between Zhejiang Cyclones and Fujian SBS. Following this incident, home fans attacked Fujian's team bus.

The chaos started with a brawl between rival groups of fans, allegedly sparked by an obscene gesture from Fujian player Gong Songlin.

The CBA later issued a warning to Yiwu, and fined the host club Zhejiang Horses 20,000 yuan ($2,500).

In comparison, when a fight between players of the NBA's Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons spilled into stands, the league handed out suspensions totaling 156 games amongst all players involved.

The light punishment for the Yiwu incident has sparked concerns of more clashes occurring, although Li moved to quell these fears, saying the investigation is still ongoing and that the CBA would likely mete out extra punishments.

"We have sent officials to further investigate the incident. I promise we will find the person responsible. More punishments will be issued when the investigation is concluded."

Li criticized Yiwu's management for failing to ensure Gong's actions were caught on tape.

"We have rules that there should be enough cameras around the court. It is clear that Yiwu did not reach our standards."

The dispute broke out in the second half of a close contest. Insults were directed at a group of traveling Fujian fans after Gong's alleged obscene gesture.

Missiles rained down on the court in response, forcing play to be halted. The chaos continued after the game resumed, with Zhejiang supporters even shaking the post whenever Fujian players attempted free throws.

Fans from Yiwu claimed that Gong repeated his gestures after the match had ended and also in the bus.

The incident did not prevent Yiwu from becoming host of the CBA All-Star Weekend, taking place from February 9 to 11.

"People in Yiwu are crazy about basketball and have been supporting the sport for many years. There have never been such incidents before," said Lou Liangsi, director general of Yiwu Sports Bureau. "We will learn from our mistakes. I promise there will be no such incidents during the All-Star Game. We have the ability to ensure players' safety."

The brawl in Yiwu was not the first such instance of crowd violence seen in the CBA this season.

Mack Tuck, a US player for the Shandong Lions, was warned by the CBA for chasing after a spectator who allegedly spat at him after a game against the Jilin Northeast Tigers on January 5 in Changchun, Jilin Province. Three other matches were held up in December when fans threw bottles onto the court. The most notorious incident came when players from Xinjiang and Shandong brawled during a game broadcast live nationwide.

(China Daily January 23, 2007)