THE Fiji Football Association has slapped hefty fines and suspensions on Suva players and officials for manhandling referee Dhirendra Kewal during a tournament last month.
Suva coach Allen Jesoni has been fined $3000 and suspended for 12 months for swearing at the referee while team manager Riaz Hussain received a $5000 fine and a two-year suspension for assault.
Player Yogesh Narayan, who punched Kewal, was fined $5000 with a two-year suspension.
Striker Cedrick Dutt was given a $2000 fine with a one-year suspension while Olympian Krishna Sami was penalised with a six-month ban and $1000 for manhandling. The Suva Football Association was fined $2000 for failing to have control over their reps.
Suva president Maretino Nemani questioned the penalties handed out to Jesoni, Sami and Dutt. And he is keen to take the three’s matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. "The punishments were quite fair and Fiji FA has taken into account our mitigation but with some exceptions," Nemani said.
"Suva soccer does not condone such violence against referees and the fines given to Hussain and Narayan were fair. However, the $3000 handed to Jesoni and suspensions to Sami and Dutt were too harsh.
"The Fiji FA should consider that Dutt has already served charges in court." The five assaulted and verbally abused Kewal after the Suva-Labasa semi-final match during the Battle of the Giants, a match Labasa won 3-2.
Fiji FA chief executive Bob Kumar said the players and officials would need to clear their names before being allowed back into the sport.
"They will need to serve their terms and pay the fines first."
Kumar added the sentences were lenient and could have been life bans.
"This is a very serious matter and the sentences and fines are a warning to other players and officials that we do not condone the abuse of referees," Kumar said. "The committee considered the merits and saw the case with an open mind."