Singapore football teams suspended over brawl

Singapore football officials have suspended indefinitely two teams who were involved in a mass brawl this week, a report said on Wednesday. Hougang United and Etoile FC will face a disciplinary hearing on June 3 after a melee involving 30-40 players during a pre-kick off warm-up on Monday, the Straits Times said. "We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to violent conduct both on and off the pitch," FAS president Zainudin Nordin said in a statement. "FAS has started investigations and will pursue the matter thoroughly. Any players and officials found guilty of misconduct will be severely dealt with." The brawl forced the cancellation of Monday's game before a ball had been kicked, which is believed to be a first for Singapore's 16-year-old S-League. It came just nine months after fighting between Young Lions and Beijing Guoan players led to long bans and fines for 16 players. The tiny city-state bolsters its 12-club professional league by allowing foreign teams including Etoile, whose players are of French origin, and China's Beijing Guoan. But the policy has been accused of inflaming racial tensions, and adding other unsavoury elements. In 2008, China's Liaoning Guangyuan were thrown out following a match-fixing scandal, while two years earlier Sporting Afrique were barred over financial irregularities. FAS was not immediately available to provide a copy of its statement when approached by AFP.