Ice Hockey-Chinese player given life ban for assaulting opponent

BEIJING, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A Chinese ice hockey player has been given a lifetime ban after being found guilty of intentionally assaulting an opponent with his stick during a domestic game, state media reported.

Lang Bingyu elbowed the head and neck of Huang Peng and then stabbed the left corner of his opponent's mouth, knocking out three teeth and leaving him requiring 42 stitches in his cheek, the Xinhua News Agency said on Thursday.

China's winter sports authority ruled Lang was banned from ever taking part in any matches or training sessions administered by China Ice Hockey Association.

"It's rare to impose such penalty for a player in Chinese ice hockey. This is one of the most severe penalty," Wang Zhili, deputy director of China Winter Sports Center, was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

"But for such a flagrant injury incident, it just crossed the bottom line of our tolerance. You play a sport match, you should behave like a sportsman, but not a villain."

The incident occurred during the game between Lang's team Qiqihar and Huang's Chengde in China's National Ice Hockey League in Harbin.

China's Winter Sports Centre also penalised the Qiqihar coach, Liu Wen, for not doing more to prevent the incident.