Injuries and riots after Syria loses soccer final
Syria, Sports, 7/29/1997

At least five Syrian football fans have been arrested and referred to the military tribunal on suspicion of inciting riots at the sports city after the Jordanian team scored the lone goal that earned it the gold medal in the closing match of the Pan-Arab Games.

Security sources said some 30 Lebanese and Syrian fans were injured in scuffles that broke out after Sunday's game, which saw scores of non-Lebanese spectators trashing their plastic seats in anger over Syria's defeat.

At least two newspaper photographers were roughed up, one of them by Syrian footballer Nader Jokhadar, who was swiftly kicked out of the game. However, no case was brought against him, and Jokhadar left on July 28 along with the rest of the team.

Lebanese youth lay in ambush for the Syrian fans after the game and pelted them with rocks and water bottles. The army intervened. Organizers of the games revealed on July 28 that 20,000 US dollars worth of damage was caused.

Five Syrians are in custody. The tension spilled over to the streets of Tripoli, where supporters of the rival football teams also clashed. Just after the Jordanian goal, five minutes before the final whistle, fans took to the streets and began shouting insults at each other. The incident quickly develop into first fights and stone-throwing matches.

Residents heard at least two grenade explosions in Bab al Tabbaneh neighborhood. Two gunshots also rang in the distance, and witnesses said the shooter escaped in a black BMW.

Meanwhile in Jordan, police said that a five year old girl was killed and at least ten other people were injured in random gunfire that broke out in the northern city of Mafraq on Sunday to celebrate the Jordanian team's victory.

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