Sports FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016 Shock at player brawls in Argentine friendlies BUENOS AIRES: Mass on-pitch brawls between players in supposedly “friendly” matches between top Argentine football teams have driven the government to vow to end soccer violence. Long used to match-day violence involving hooligan gangs, Argentine fans saw ugly rucks erupt on the pitch itself at two recent high-profile friend- lies. Argentina’s new President Mauricio Macri, himself a fan and former chairman of top team Boca Juniors, responded by vowing to crack down on soccer violence. Last week’s Buenos Aires summer derby between the country’s two most popular teams, Boca and their fierce rivals River Plate, descended into a full-on punch-up. A match already marred by cynical fouls and insults degen- erated after a clash between former Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez of Boca and a River defender. Five players were sent off and River Plate’s goalkeeper was hit by a projectile from the stands, but the match carried on to end in a 1-0 win for River. Under 16 tennis tournament concludes On Sunday in the city of Mar del Plata, a match between rivals Estudiantes and Gimnasia was abandoned KUWAIT: The under 16 Tennis General after a mass brawl broke out on the pitch with kicks, spit- Tournament was concluded Tuesday in ting and shoving. “We all regret it. It got out of hand,” the presence of Kuwait Tennis said Gimnasia’s Uruguayan midfielder Roberto Brum. He Association Secretary General had left the pitch before the ruck broke out but jumped Abdelredha Al-Ghareeb, and Yarmouk off the bench and ran back on to join in the fight. Overall Sports Club Board Member Hussein Al- 18 players were booked by the referee. It is not yet Ghareeb. Yarmouk Sports Club defeated known what their sanctions will be. Kuwait Club 2-1. Salmiya Club was in second place and Kuwait Club was third. Soccer security measures Abdelredha Al-Ghareeb congratulated A day after the second brawl, Security Minister Patricia the clubs that won top places headed Bullrich called a meeting of officials from the Argentine by Yarmouk club. He said the tourna- Football Association. “She demanded the utmost severi- ment discovered several distinguished players who will be depended on in the ty,” said the head of the association, Luis Segura. “It will future. be handled by our disciplinary tribunal.” Estudiantes’ chairman is Juan Sebastian Veron, a for- mer Manchester United midfielder and Argentina inter- national. He promised the club would impose “internal sanctions” over the violence. But he called for critics “to Vonn has complaints understand the confrontations that there are on the pitch.” “This is absolute instinctive barbarity,” said Dario for downhill course Mendelson, a sports psychologist. “It is true that there is extra pressure during classic matches, but you have to train your mind to cope with the pressure,” he said. “No GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, with the rain,” the American said. “The Johnson of the United States fourth. preventive measures are being taken here.” Germany: Lindsey Vonn left the finish course is really bally, in some turns there Johnson was another late starter but did- area with plenty of complaints about the is no surface underneath.” Vonn has won n’t skip any gates. “The course is soft, ‘Save football’ state of the Kandahar course and think- four of five downhill races this season, with room for improvement,” Argentine anti-violence football charity Let’s Save ing she still had the fastest time in while crashing out in one, and also leads Rebensburg said. “The crew still has a lot Football agrees that players are under pressure and Thursday’s training for a World Cup the overall World Cup standings by 45 to do.” Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein, blames authorities for being too lax in the past. “This is downhill. Officially, she didn’t, because points over Lara Gut of Switzerland, who who won the race last year, was sixth in violence by the players, but violent groups of the clubs’ late starter Romane Miradoli of France also missed a gate in training. training, behind Corinne Suter of fans pressure them and they end up offering up that kind beat her by .20 seconds. But Miradoli, Vonn clocked 1 minute, 49.70 sec- Switzerland. “It’s very bumpy, some- of behavior to the stands,” said the NGO’s leader Mariano with the No. 38 bib, missed two gates. onds for her run. Viktoria Rebensburg of where it’s hard, somewhere it’s soft,” Berges. Since it was only a training run, her result Germany, winner of the last two giant Weirather said. “It’s a miracle that we He is a former judge who probed various cases of will stand, although it meant little. By the slalom races, was third, with Breezy were able to come down today.” —AP football violence. His group says six people were killed in time Miradoli came down, Vonn had football-related violence in Argentina last year, 16 in already left with her father Alan. 2014 and 12 in each of the two years before that. Rules in The training run was twice delayed to place since 2013 have restricted visiting fans’ movements allow organizers to better prepare the course left in bad condition by mild at football grounds to prevent clashes. But fights weather and rain over the past week. A between fans of rival sides have given way to violent men’s giant slalom on the same hill had power struggles among fellow members of extreme fan to be canceled on Sunday. Fresh snow groups. overnight added to the problems. “It was They fight each other over rackets such as ticket sales good to get a training run in, although it and parking around the stadium. Now the violence has was on the limit of safety,” Vonn said. spread to the pitch to an alarming degree. “This reflects “But I am glad we got it in. I didn’t really many years of exasperating permissiveness by the ski that great, nothing special, more of authorities,” said Berges. high-speed inspection.” Macri has called for an end to football violence. “We Racers are required to have at least clearly hope that all Argentines, be they fans of Boca, one training run before a downhill race, River Plate or other teams, or those who do not like foot- so they are now clear to race on ball, can see on the pitch a spectacle that is just about Saturday, weather permitting. Another sport,” he said recently. His government last week training run is scheduled today, but it is announced it would draw up a national blacklist of fans likely to be canceled to allow the organ- banned by their clubs for violence. “It seems there is now izers to prepare and preserve the course. political resolve to end this problem,” said Berges. “That Rain is predicted for Friday but Vonn is what has been missing over the last 20 years. In that thought that could be a good thing if it time there has been a lot of talk but nothing done in allows organizers to smooth out the ITALY: Lindsey Vonn, right, celebrates on the podium with second practice.” —AFP bumpy course. placed Tina Weirather after winning the women’s World Cup super-G, “Maybe they can work some magic in Cortina D’Ampezzo. —AP.