Agence France Presse

Beijing, June 12:

A star striker in China’s national football team was in a serious condition with a fractured skull after being attacked outside a restaurant in southern Shenzhen city, state press said. Chen Yongqiang was attacked by an unidentified assailant early on Saturday morning following an argument when he was leaving the restaurant after a meal, Beijing Daily Messenger reported. The 27-year-old underwent a five-hour operation at Shenzhen’s Honghui Hospital and remains in a serious condition after bone fragments were removed from his skull. Chen, who plays for Shenzhen’s Jianlibao club, was also slashed across his back and suffered a deep gash on his arm. It was unclear if Chen would be able to play football again, the paper quoted doctors as saying. Chen was named to the national side in March. Other press reports said the attacker, who remains at large, also produced a hand gun during the confrontation. The incident was the latest to strike China’s beleaguered Super League which has been mired in allegations of corruption and gambling, with the Shenzhen club at the centre of many allegations.