Soccer rioting occurs in Hisor district

DUSHANBE, September 2, 2011, Asia-Plus – Violence broke out after a championship football match between Ravshan from Kulob and hometown Shodmon from Hisor on September 1.

Ravshan won 1-0 and some of the Shodmon fans believed that the referees in the match were biased.  As the game ended, the Shodmon fans began to hurl stones and plastic bottles at the referees.  The source says that he saw that one of the referees and one of fans sustained slight injuries.

Police managed to force the group of rowdy fans out of the stadium; however, part of them gathered in a park not far from the stadium.  After that the fans got going to the bus terminal, chanting “Hisor!  Hisor!”  Police officers met them near the bus terminal and forced to disperse.

We will recall that soccer riots with participation of the Ravshan fans took place in Kulob on June 14 and in Dushanbe on June 22.

At east 10 people were injured and some 20 others were detained during the soccer rioting in Kulob.  The disciplinary committee of the Tajik Football Federation fined the Ravshan club for Kulob riot some 3,000 somoni ($550) and disqualified the team from playing its next five home games, instead playing in a stadium some 100 kilometers outside of Kulob.

Besides, the first-division team Hosilot was fined 1,500 somoni on July 11 for its attack on match officials.