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British snooker player Peter Lines accused of offering Chinese opponent outside for a fight after defeat

Peter Lines - British snooker player Peter Lines accused of offering Chinese opponent outside for a fight after defeat - GETTY IMAGES
Peter Lines - British snooker player Peter Lines accused of offering Chinese opponent outside for a fight after defeat - GETTY IMAGES

A British snooker player and director of the sport’s world governing body is under investigation by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) after being accused of offering to “fight” an opponent “in front of a referee”.

Peter Lines, who has been a professional for 30 years – reaching the 1998 World Snooker Championship – was also alleged to have abused China’s Xiao Guodong using “swear words”.

Lines, 51, is one of four board members of the WPBSA, having been voted one of its two player directors nearly two years ago.

The accusation against him was made in a letter of complaint posted by Xiao last week on the latter’s Sina Weibo account after a qualifying match between the pair for next month’s Northern Ireland Open which Lines lost 4-3.

According to the letter, Lines abused Xiao in the players’ lounge in front of other witnesses – including Wu Yize, Pang Junxu and Elliot Slessor – using “swear words” and that security staff were forced to step in.

“Peter was also threatening Xiao to step outside the arena for a fight in front of a referee, which is not acceptable and quite intimidating for a player who is coming here from a different country,” the letter said.

Xiao, a three-time World Snooker Championship qualifier, also posted on his account: “I do not make trouble but also am not afraid of any trouble.”

World Snooker Tour (WST) said in a statement: “WST has received a formal complaint from Xiao Guodong regarding the conduct of his opponent Peter Lines following their match in the Northern Ireland Open qualifiers. A thorough investigation is now underway and the matter is being treated as serious. Neither WST or the WPBSA will make any further comment until the issue is resolved.”

Telegraph Sport has approached Lines for comment.

According to his profile on the WPBSA website, he was voted a player director of the organisation in recognition of his “popularity on the circuit” and that he had since been “continually striving to improve the player experience”.

It also says he coaches players of varying abilities and “of any age” at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds

“He is reliable, knowledgeable and honest with his students,” it adds.