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Saudi prince banned from entering stadiums for one year

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Press Trust of India Riyadh
Last Updated : May 14 2015 | 7:57 PM IST
A high-profile Saudi prince has been banned from entering stadiums for one year in the Kingdom following his alleged involvement in a brawl at the end of a crucial football match here.
The ban against Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Rahman Bin Nasser was decided by the General President of Youth Welfare Prince Musaid Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud after a committee he set up to look into the incidents that followed the match between two Riyadh-based teams submitted its report.
"The committee has studied the incidents and reported its findings and conclusions to the General Presidency of Youth Welfare (GPYW)," the GPYW said in a statement.
The incident occurred on Sunday as Al Nasr beat arch-rival Al Hilal and became the football champions and players and team officials were celebrating the title.
Prince Abdul Aziz, an honorary member of Al Nasr team, carrying his agal, the black rope used to keep the ghitra, the headdress, in his hand while a stadium steward was trying to hold him away from Al Hilal players, Gulf News reported.
The general presidency, the equivalent of a youth and sports ministry, said it wanted the Saudi league to issue new regulations governing the presence of officials on the sidelines of the football pitches.
The league was given two weeks to communicate the new regulations that must follow international standards to the teams competing in its competitions.

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"There will be a zero-tolerance policy towards the strict application of the new rules to ensure that the incidents that occurred at the end of the match between Al Nasr and Al Hilal are not repeated," the presidency said. "All clubs will have to fully respect the new regulations."
Saudi team officials wearing civilian clothes are regularly seen sitting alongside coaches and substitute players on the benches on the side of the pitches.
The ban against Aziz is the second strong action against a senior prince in Saudi sports, often regarded as one of the most challenging areas to handle in the kingdom.

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First Published: May 14 2015 | 7:57 PM IST

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