Police and skaters in late night street fight
By Pan Zheng and Zhang Xuanchen |
June 8, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AUTHORITIES in the tourist city of Lijiang in southwest China said yesterday that members of China's national short-track speed skating team attacked police officers who tried to stop them from being rowdy on the streets on Monday night.
However, skaters claim that they were attacked and beaten up.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Lijiang People's Hospital said yesterday that they refused an injured team member's demand that, as a world champion, he must be given a single room in the overwhelmed hospital.
Ten members of the squad were sent there for treatment at 1am yesterday following the street fight.
Hospital authorities denied claims by the skating team that medics "did nothing" to treat their injuries, saying the athletes and coaches left after receiving checkups.
Lijiang police said they went to stop the male and female athletes from being rowdy, after receiving complaints from residents that a group of noisy drunks was causing trouble after midnight.
Police say one male athlete kicked an officer, which escalated into to a bigger fight.
After 20 minutes of fighting, police offered to send team members to hospital. There, authorities claim, skaters were outraged at having to wait, almost triggering another fight.
However, team members claimed on their microblogs they were attacked by people suspected of being security guards on their way to hotel after supper.
The team was attending a training session in Lijiang City.
"My team was beaten up in Lijiang. Is there any justice in China?" Wang Meng, captain of China's women's team and multi-Winter Olympic champion, posted at 3am on her microblog on weibo.com.
Lijiang authorities said they will continue their investigations into the case.
However, skaters claim that they were attacked and beaten up.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Lijiang People's Hospital said yesterday that they refused an injured team member's demand that, as a world champion, he must be given a single room in the overwhelmed hospital.
Ten members of the squad were sent there for treatment at 1am yesterday following the street fight.
Hospital authorities denied claims by the skating team that medics "did nothing" to treat their injuries, saying the athletes and coaches left after receiving checkups.
Lijiang police said they went to stop the male and female athletes from being rowdy, after receiving complaints from residents that a group of noisy drunks was causing trouble after midnight.
Police say one male athlete kicked an officer, which escalated into to a bigger fight.
After 20 minutes of fighting, police offered to send team members to hospital. There, authorities claim, skaters were outraged at having to wait, almost triggering another fight.
However, team members claimed on their microblogs they were attacked by people suspected of being security guards on their way to hotel after supper.
The team was attending a training session in Lijiang City.
"My team was beaten up in Lijiang. Is there any justice in China?" Wang Meng, captain of China's women's team and multi-Winter Olympic champion, posted at 3am on her microblog on weibo.com.
Lijiang authorities said they will continue their investigations into the case.
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