DUSHANBE, July 12, 2011, Asia-Plus — Another Tajik soccer club has been fined for its unruly behavior, Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service reports.
The Tajikistan Football Federation took disciplinary action on July 11 against the first-division team Hosilot for its attack on match officials.
Safar Karimov, head of the federation”s disciplinary committee, told RFE/RL that a game on July 9 in which Hosilot played in Hulbuk — in the southern Kulob area of Khatlon Province — ended early because of bad behavior.
Karimov said Hulbuk scored a goal in the 81st minute, but three Hosilot players insisted the scorer was offside and they attacked referee Umed Rahimov, who is from Qurghon Teppa.
The three Hosilot players then verbally abused the two assistant referees and left the field.
Karimov said the Hosilot club must pay a 1,500 somoni ($320) fine. Disciplinary action against the players involved in the incident will be announced after the committee”s next meeting, he added.
On June 22, some 40 fans of the Ravshan soccer club — also from Kulob — were detained in Dushanbe for rioting after their team won 3-2 against CSKA Pamir in a Tajik Premier League match.
One week earlier, on June 14, Ravshan supporters in Kulob turned violent after their team lost to first-place Istiqlol Dushanbe.
Riots broke out after angry Ravshan fans accused the referee of favoring Istiqlol Dushanbe and allowing a questionable late goal that gave Istiqlol Dushanbe a key win over its second-placed rival. Ravshan fans attacked the police guarding the pitch and threw stones and other objects at the referees.
They then left the stadium and attacked the Istiqlol team bus, players” cars, and even firefighters and ambulances near the stadium.
The Tajik Football Federation fined Ravshan some 3,000 somoni ($640) for that rampage and ruled that it must play its next five home games at a stadium some 100 kilometers away from
