A local basketball game in China was marred by sickening abuse from fans of the Shanghai Sharks, who taunted a visiting team from Nanjing with references to the horrific massacre there in 1937.
The game between the hometown Sharks and the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey King took place on Thursday, marking the 81st anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre, a tragic episode in China’s history which claimed the lives of an estimated 300,000 people who were slaughtered by the Japanese army.
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Despite the game being preceded by a solemn ceremony to remember the Nanjing victims, some Sharks fans marred the game by chanting that the massacre should have killed the visiting team.
"Why didn’t the Japanese kill your team?" some fans chanted at Nanjing players during the game, which the home side won 111-103.
The Nanjing team condemned the fans’ behavior, stating that their abuse had “crossed a moral line.”
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After the controversial incident the Shanghai Sharks apologized for the fans’ behavior, promising to investigate the episode, which has triggered public outcry in China.
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“We will always remember this painful history. Let the dead rest in peace. As their descendants, we will gather strength and work hard so that peace and justice will reign forever,” the club stated.
The Chinese basketball authorities have vowed to inquire into the incident and punish the fans responsible.