I am writing in response to the report on an incident at the Cricket Sixes ('Boycott vowed over bin Laden 'joke' ', South China Morning Post, November 5) and the letter from tournament director Clive Howard (Post, November 7). In the November 5 report Mr Howard is quoted as saying 'the beer incident [during which beer cans were hurled] took less than five minutes and no one was injured'. It is true that spectators like me were not injured seriously, but unfortunately my friends and I were on the receiving end of the enraged group of Pakistani supporters who were indiscriminately pelting us with full beer cans and bottles of water taken from a drinks seller on the sidelines. In the row where I was sitting we (women and men) had to crouch on the ground and cover our faces to protect ourselves. Some of us were hit on the back of the head, on our shoulders, backs and legs. The confrontation was frightening and a number of spectators, including families nearby, chose to leave before the England v Pakistan match ended. The 'man-in-mask' incident (where a Pakistan supporter paraded in front of opposition fans wearing an Osama bin Laden mask) could have been prevented by simply enforcing the basic rules which are in place to look out for the general well-being of spectators. Tournament organisers should consider hiring stewards over a certain age, with authority and a sense of responsibility. It would be their duty to enforce the basic rule of no running on the pitch and to remove offenders. If the security guards last weekend had enforced this rule, the whole situation could have been prevented. They would also be expected to remove offenders who throw any type of object. This type of behaviour is not permitted at the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens and should not be tolerated at the Cricket Sixes. If the officials and stewards at the Cricket Sixes do not have the authority to enforce security measures then they should engage the services of the police. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
