Jun 18 (NHK) - A basketball referee was punched in the face by a high school player during a game in the western Japanese prefecture of Nagasaki on Sunday.
The Japan Basketball Association says a foreign exchange student punched the referee in the face, just after the referee cited him for a violation. The incident occurred just before the game ended.
A video clip posted on Twitter shows a referee, believed to be the one that had been struck, lying on the floor, unable to stand up on his own and receiving first aid.
School officials say he was taken to hospital and got 10 stiches.
They say the player later met the referee to apologize in person. The referee reportedly said he would not file a complaint with the police, hoping that the incident would not cause the player to hate the sport.
The All Japan High School Athletic Federation is considering penalizing the player.
Source: ANNnewsCH
