The Chinese Basketball Association "handed down one of the harsher penalties in recent memory" on Thursday. Zhejiang Golden Bull, of the women's league, "will be banned from playing home games" in its home city of Yiwu for one year, including any additional games in its series against the Shanxi Flame. Fans believed that "the referees were showing favoritism" toward the Flame, so they stormed the court after the game "to let them know their feelings on the matter." The "angry mob had to be held back by security on hand at the arena" (NIUBBALL, 1/31). ... FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned Argentina club CA Independiente and Italian side Genoa for misuse of the FIFA Transfer Matching System. Both clubs were ordered to pay a fine of CHF 35,000 ($38,491) and were warned about engaging in any such future conduct (FIFA).
NZ, BANGLADESH CRICKET: The Int'l Cricket Council on Thursday allocated $1.8M "to crisis-hit New Zealand" as part of the Targeted Assistance and Performance Programme after the conclusion of its first board meeting of the year, according to the PTI. The New Zealand Cricket initiative will focus on a program "of 'A' Team cricket and the development of coaching and sports science expertise" (PTI, 1/31). ... Int'l cricket players "threatened Thursday to quit the Bangladesh Premier League as the troubled Twenty20 tournament was hit by a fresh dispute over pay." Officials said that five of the seven BPL teams face players walking away "in the middle of the competition unless they receive the salaries that they were promised" (AFP, 1/31).
