Beijing ducks fan security turmoil

The high-profile Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) semi-final match between Beijing and Shanxi last night concluded peacefully amidst the highest security concerns in the league's 17-year history.

The game got underway at 7:30 pm and ended at 9:18 pm in Shougang Basketball Center, Shijingshan district, with more than 6,000 spectators in the arena. After beating Shanxi Zhongyu 110 to 98, Beijing Jinyu, also known as the Ducks, advanced into the final series for the first time.

Three referees from Canada and Brazil officiated at the game in order to stymie any complaints of referee bias.

The game, originally scheduled on Wednesday evening, was postponed due to security concerns after an ill-tempered game in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, the previous Sunday that was also marred by fan violence. The Beijing team was besieged in their bus outside Binhe Stadium by an angry mob of about 300 Shanxi fans throwing stones, despite Shanxi having won the game 102 to 100.

Ahead of the fifth and final game in the semi-final series, Zhongyu players kept a low profile since their arrival in Beijing Saturday evening, and did not reveal the name of their hotel.

Wang Xingjiang, president of Zhongyu Saturday apologised for claiming after the previous game that Shanxi "would initiate a brawl in Beijing if his team is bullied by the referees."

"I made the remarks about my dissatisfaction with the game supervision and referees to my friends in the locker room," he said.

Yesterday, local public security departments dispatched a large number of police to maintain public order around the stadium to make sure there would not be a repeat of the fan violence.

Yuan Chao, general manager of Beijing Jinyu, described the security for the game as "the highest ever in the CBA."

"Police from the Municipal Public Security Bureau took over the job of keeping public order in the game," Yuan said. Usually, the club and local police cooperate on providing security for matches.

Existing parking permits were not accredited tonight and fans were suggested to park vehicles at a shopping mall away from the stadium to ensure the quick departure of the two teams after the game, Yuan said.

A witness described the security measures as extremely tight.

"There were two levels of security checks, one electronic, the other manual," he said. Bags, cigarette lighters and drink bottles were banned.

Attracted by the appearance of riot police on guard at the south and west gates of the stadium, many fans took the chance to photograph the police, their equipment, and their patrol dogs.

Security guards also carefully checked reporters' credentials, and fewer press photographers were allowed sit courtside during the game.

Before the game, many Beijing fans posted on Weibo, saying they would not fight, but would make as much noise as possible to distract their rivals.

"The order in the stadium was disciplined," said a fan surnamed Wang, "Any time the fans started shouting something unpleasant, the match announcer asked the fans to calm down," he said.

As in previous games, Stephon Marbury, American point guard for Jinyu, who contributed 30 points to the win, played a key role in assuring victory.

On March 11, a Shanxi fan surnamed Cao accused Marbury of attacking him when leaving the stadium, which fueled the mass attack on the Beijing team bus. So far, there has been no corroborating evidence to back Cao's claim.

The former New York Knicks star burst into tears as he hugged teammate and Jinyu captain Cheng Lei after the win.

As Jinyu secured its spot in the final series, which starts Wednesday in Beijing, the club will relocate to the MasterCard Center, Haidian district, for the finals. Their opponents in the series of seven games will be Guangdong Hongyuan.