Cricket : émeute à Bangalore ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು – 8 mars 2011

India’s Dhoni sympathises with baton-charged fans

Afp

By Manoj Vatsyayana (AFP) – 8 mars 2011

NAGPUR, India — Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday sympathised with the fans who were baton-charged by police as they queued for tickets to see India’s World Cup clash with South Africa.

« Police take the action when they feel it is needed, » India skipper Dhoni told reporters in New Delhi where India take on the Netherlands in a Group B clash on Wednesday.

« To avoid a stampede-like situation, they have to resort to lathicharge (baton-charge). So to always project the police as bad is not an ideal thing. But of course everybody feels bad when fans get beaten up. »

Ticket-hungry fans, desperate to see Saturday’s match in Nagpur, were baton-charged by police as they queued, witnesses said.

The clashes happened outside the Vidarbha Cricket Association offices, as police struggled to control the crowds.

Fans started queuing on Monday, a day before the counters opened for the sale of tickets for the first World Cup game involving India in the Orange City since 1987.

Engineering student Ajay Zade had given up hope of buying one of the 16,000 tickets for the high-profile match, to be held at the VCA’s Jamtha Stadium. Read more…

Police and fans in further clashes

Reuters

March 9, 2011

Batons come out again as waiting supporters’ patience runs out

Nagpur: Police clashed with hundreds of fans seeking tickets for India’s World Cup showdown against South Africa yesterday, again highlighting the country’s inability to handle the huge demand.

Twelve days after similar scenes were witnessed in Bengaluru, stick-wielding police battered fans in front of the ticket counter at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.

Spectators had been queuing behind wooden barricades since Monday.

A witness said sections of the crowd became restless yesterday morning and started climbing over the barriers, breaking them down. Read more…