China

Snooker girl Zhou in sex scandal apologies

By Yu Nan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-03-07 13:23

Asian Games women billiards player Zhou Mengmeng has already acknowledged her mistakes to Chinese cue sport authorities through a formal apology letter, and withdrawn the accusation against some officials of alleged-malfeasance, according to Xinhua News Agency Monday.

Zhou Mengmeng.

"I realize that there do exist some misunderstandings between our family and cue sports administrations", Zhou Ruixin, Zhou Mengmeng's father, said,who have run 15 cue sports halls in Shanghai.

"Stepping up further legally offensive action would be not a proper way to clear the air but more likely to upgrade conflicts and generate negative influence on us, the team, and even China's cue sports circles," Zhou expressed.

Zhou's daughter, 19-year-old professional snooker player Zhou Mengmeng, was involved in a sexual harassment scandal during last December's Asian Games that has embarrassed the authorities and left her family enraged.

Zhou claimed she was sexually abused and beaten by male teammate Tian Pengfei in Doha.

In a surprise response measure, Chinese authorities elected to punish both athletes: Tian for his transgressions, and Zhou for approaching the press without due authorization.

The father therefore prepared to file lawsuits with a court against several cue sports officials for defamation and of falsified sports rankings to block his daughter from competing in the international matches ahead of Lunar New Year.

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Official with Chinese cue sports administration Liu Rongyao said the girl handed over the apology letter in which admitting she was "involved in a physical conflict with Tian merely because of a dispute; and" irresponsibly approached the media to go public with her personal friction and gave up her bronze medal match,"

"I am totally inorganization and indiscipline", the girl writes, "but I deeply regret for my wilful words and of violating the team's rules,and seriously accept any kind of punishment." The teenager also expressed her inclination to rejoin the national team in honor of China's cue sports development and promise not to let her funs down.

Liu said Zhou are always welcomed in the national team only if she recognized her mistake and mended it timely. "Zhou is still young, and has chances to be qualified into the team as long as the one-year ban for domestic competition expired.

Senior Zhou ever claimed the punishment sounds "ridiculous" and was ready to filing lawsuits with a court against cue administration officials for defamation.

The reason for their unexpected compromise thanks to a third party from Shanghai cue sports union who is mediating the dispute with much efforts between the senior Zhou and the administration, which eventually makes uncompromising family give away, according to a report from sina.com.