The T1 LEAGUE has revised the penalties it handed down against three players and one executive with the Taoyuan Leopards who were involved in a brawl that broke out with the TaiwanBeer HeroBears in a game in Taipei on Feb. 19.
According to a league statement Friday, it has reduced the suspensions from three games to one and fines from NT$50,000 (US$819) to NT$25,000 for the three Leopards players — Lu Chieh-min (???), Lo Chen-feng (???), and Tseng Pin-fu (???).
The league, however, increased the length of the suspension for Leopards Chairman Ocean Liu (???) from 10 games previously to 20 games, while maintaining his NT$200,000 fine.
The previous penalties were imposed on Feb. 20, the day after the game, but the Leopards appealed the decisions. The league’s decision-making committee discussed the appeal and submitted its conclusions to the league’s executive council for a second review.
The council “unanimously approved” the revisions, the league said, given the lack of evidence proving that the behavior of the three players met the league threshold for a three-game suspension.
Suspensions of that length are for actions leading to an altercation or altercation-like circumstance that causes others to be seriously injured.
Instead, the council said, they were more like “actions not appropriate in basketball,” such as swinging one’s elbows and fists or kicking, for which the league decided to lessen the penalties imposed.
The result differed from the interpretation given by league president Chien Wei-chuan (???) on Feb. 20 that the suspensions and fines were based on the league’s regulations and rules rather than on subjective judgments and were “generally correct.”
The league did not explain why Liu’s suspension was extended.
Beyond the revised penalties, the league said it will also draft clearer and stricter rules for brawls to stave off similar incidents from happening again.
In response, the Taoyuan club said it will “respect the league’s decision” and “take no further action,” Leopards media contact Sheena Sun (???) told CNA.
Meanwhile, the HeroBears fined their assistant coach Lin Chieh-ho (???) NT$100,000 on Monday evening following the league’s decision to suspend him for 30 games and fine him NT$300,000.
Lin was considered one of the main instigators of the brawl, chasing Leopards guard Chen Hsiao-jung (???) down the court after Chen smashed his arm or elbow into the face of Herobears’ captain Chiang Yu-an (???) while handling the ball.
Lin tried to punch Chen in front of the Leopards’ bench, which then cleared, triggering a melee.
At Sunday’s postgame press conference, HeroBears general manager Ha Hsiao-yuan (???) promised the franchise would punish Lin on its own after the league announced its decision.
On Feb. 20, the league also said it would suggest to the T1 LEAGUE’s executive council that Lin be removed as a director of the league.
That proposal will be voted on in March when the league holds a meeting of its members.
The Leopards, on a three-game winning streak that has improved their record to 4-11, will next play the New Taipei CTBC DEA, which is leading the league with a 12-4 record, in Xinzhuang on Sunday.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel