El Khatib faces two-year ban

[rikhardur]

Lebanese club Al Riyadi decided to ban legendary Fadi El Khatib for two years. According to an official statement published by the club, the "Tiger" and team captain Ismail Ahmad face a ban from professional basketball (the club will not release them) and the salary of one month will not be paid. Furthermore, El Khatib might not be allowed to return to the Lebanese national team (the player had announced retirement), since the federation is reportedly backing this decision.

The reason behind this ban is a strike led by El Khatib and the Egyptian captain that led many Al Riyadi players not to play against Al Mouttahed, a game that the Beirut team, currently leading the Lebansese league, lost heavily by 120-50. The aim of the strike was to pressure Al Ryiadi to pay the promised bonus of the Dubai Tournament played last December. The situation is to be cleared in the following days.

http://basket-spot.blogspot.com/2009/01