NHL player racially abused in Czech league

The Czech Ice Hockey Association said Tuesday it had fined top-flight Pirati Chomutov after its fans showered racist insults on black NHL player Wayne Simmonds during a game. Canada's Simmonds, the Philadelphia Flyers' right wing, joined another Czech top-flight side Bili Tygri Liberec amid the NHL lock-out sparked by failed talks with the players' unions. Chomutov were hit with a penalty of 30,000 koruna (1,200 euros, $1,555) for chants heard during their clash with Liberec in the top league on Sunday. "We are disgusted by the behaviour of a group of fans who harmed the reputation of the club," Pirati marketing director David Dinda said after the game. Chomutov also apologised to Simmonds in a letter immediately after the incident.