U.S.-Afghan Game Turns Violent
   

The Associated Press
Friday, March 22, 2002; 5:36 AM

KABUL, Afghanistan –– A friendly basketball game between U.S. and Afghan teams turned violent, with one American player kicked in the head and an Afghan spectator shot in the leg, peacekeepers said Friday.

The incident Thursday began when an American player fell on the court near the seating area of the Kabul stadium. An Afghan spectator stepped forward and kicked the player in the head, Flight Lt. Tony Marshall said.

An Afghan guard with the U.S. team moved in to try to push the crowd back. He cocked his Kalashnikov and it went off unintentionally, hitting an Afghan spectator in the leg, Marshall said.

The guard was taken into police custody, he said.

Marshall said that up until this point the game had been played in an atmosphere of goodwill.

The match occurred on the second day of a four-day tournament in the Afghan capital. The American team, which included soldiers, U.S. Embassy personnel and one British player, pulled out of the tournament after the incident, he said.

Last month, a melee erupted at the stadium where peacekeepers and Afghans were playing a goodwill soccer match. Afghan police fired shots in the air to disperse the crowd that was pushing to get in.

Not all sporting events between international forces and Afghans have ended violently, however.

This week, British and other members of the international peacekeeping force played a cricket match with an Afghan team – complete with cucumber triangle sandwiches, scones and tea. The Afghans were leading when rain ended the match.

© 2002 The Associated Press

My mistake. It was late and I was half liquored up.

lol   been there.......done that!

Soccer and Basketball often become very violent events!!!!  Personally I believe it is because of the fact that the balls used in these sports are round, as is the planet Earth  This fact triggers the "animalistic" part of man's natural desire to conqueor and dominate territories.   So instead of just watching quietly, the spectator is forced by his natural evolutionary instincts to dominate those around him............thus leading to fighting.

Sgtar15

PS.  That is why you rarely see a fight break out at shooting matches, because bullets are more oval shaped.................unless of course one is using military 45ACP "Ball" ammo