Basketball players from China and Brazil trade punches during an ugly brawl in their friendly game in October in Xuchang, Henan province. [Provided to China Daily]

BEIJING - The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) accepted Tuesday the penalties imposed by FIBA for a mass brawl between Chinese players and their Brazilian counterparts in an October friendly match to create a better match order in the future.

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FIBA, the world governing body of basketball, announced Tuesday on its website that China's American coach Robert Donewald Jr. was suspended for three matches and fined 40,000 Swiss francs (about 41,000 U.S. dollars), three of his players - Zhu Fangyu, Sun Yue and Zhang Bo - were suspended for one or two matches and the CBA fined 20,000 Swiss francs (about 20,500 U.S. dollars).

"We accepted the fines and suspensions on the association and the team. I think the coach and the players have learned lessons from the brawl," CBA vice president Hu Jiashi said on Tuesday.

Hu added that the CBA would contact FIBA for clarification on details of the punishment.

Fights broke out as China's players attacked the Brazilians on Oct 12 in a friendly at Xuchang in central China's Henan province.