WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson ‘disgusted’ by Liang Wenbo’s actions as player returns after assault ban

WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson says snooker bosses are ‘quite disgusted’ and ‘very angry’ over Liang Wenbo’s actions, as the player returns from a ban after being convicted for a domestic-related assault.

The 35-year-old was given a 12-month community order in April after pleading guilty to assaulting a woman in Sheffield in July 2021.

Liang was caught on CCTV repeatedly punching and kicking the woman and was seen dragging her to the floor, continuing the assault when another man trip to intervene.

The sentence given by the criminal court was the 12-month community order and to pay £1,380.

The verdict was made public, with the snooker authorities unaware of the case until the sentence was announced. They responded by suspending Liang pending disciplinary proceedings, which meant he missed the World Championship.

In June it was announced that the result of the independent disciplinary process was that Liang would be banned from World Snooker Tour events until 1 August, ruling him out of the Championship League and European Masters.

The world number 40 returns to the table on Thursday in the British Open qualifiers and many fans are shocked to see him back so quickly after the hideous crime he was found guilty of.

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Ferguson has explained that there was only so much the World Professional Snooker and Billiards Association could do after the case was dealt with in the criminal courts, but does admit that he feels Liang’s punishment feels lenient.

‘I can understand how on the face of it, it