Jordan- Three hospitalised after attack on football team

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) Three footballers are currently in hospital after being injured late Sunday in an attack on their team during a training session.

The three members of Al Jazeera Club's Under-20 team were attacked by local residents along with 12 other team members while practicing at a stadium in Al Hashemi area, east Amman, according to the club's director, Amer Qteishat.

One of the team players was cut in the face with a knife, while others were beaten with batons, sticks and bricks, Qteishat told The Jordan Times over the phone on Monday.

"The residents attacked the players as they [the residents] have repeatedly complained to authorities that the fence of the stadium is too low and that the ball keeps falling on their houses and properties, but their complaints were ignored," said Qteishat.

"It seems that the residents had enough Sunday and thus they attacked the team. Apparently, they had been planning for a battle," he added.

A source at Al Istiqlal Hospital told The Jordan Times that three of the team members were admitted to the hospital late Sunday for bruises and injuries and are still in hospital for treatment.

Saleh Johari, one of the injured footballers, said he was beaten with sticks on his head several times during the attack, which took place around 8:30pm Sunday.

"One of the team's players left the football field to retrieve a ball that fell over the fence. Many of the area's residents were already near the fence watching us. They promptly attacked the player and I and many others rushed to help him and calm the residents down," Johari said.

"Then more and more young people arrived at the scene and started attacking indiscriminately," he added.

Qteishat said the club lodged a complaint with the police late Sunday, but later dropped the complaint as some of the residents "injured themselves, got medical reports" and filed a counter-complaint that the incident was a brawl.

"We do not want trouble and we do not want our players to be detained. This is why we dropped the complaint. There is no respect for sportspeople, it seems," Qteishat said.

Under the regulations in force, when the two parties in a brawl provide medical reports of injury, they are given the choice to conciliate on the spot and drop complaints reciprocally, or be detained pending a court hearing.

It was not possible to contact local residents involved in the incident.

By Mohammad Ghazal