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U.S.-Afghan Basketball Game Ends in Chaos
Friday, March 22, 2002
(9:01 AM)
The Associated Press

Not all sporting events between international forces and Afghans have ended violently, however. This week, British and other members of the international peacekeeping force played a cricket match with an Afghan team -- complete with cucumber triangle sandwiches, scones and tea. The Afghans were leading when rain ended the match.

KABUL, Afghanistan -- AP
A friendly basketball game between U.S. and Afghan teams turned violent, with one American player kicked in the head and two Afghan spectators shot in the leg, peacekeepers and witnesses said today.

The incident Thursday began when an American player fell on the court near the seating area of the Kabul stadium. An Afghan spectator stepped forward and kicked the player in the head, Flight Lt. Tony Marshall said.

An Afghan guard with the U.S. team moved in to try to push the crowd back. He cocked his Kalashnikov and it went off unintentionally, Marshall said.

Two Afghan spectators were hit by bullets, both in the leg, said a witness, Wahid Ullah. Both were in good condition at Kabul's Italian-run emergency hospital, hospital administrator Rossella Miccio said.
(More: The Houston Chonicle News Source)
2002 © The Associated Press.

Dan