On May 1, top Dead Or Alive 4 gamer Wilson 'Tetra' Chia was sacked from the Singapore Swords team for hitting his manager during the Pan-Asian leg of the Championship Gaming Series (CGS).

Word was that Mr Chia, 26, would be banned for life from the CGS. But he has been given a lifeline - the CGS might reconsider if he applies for reinstatement in the future.

In a telephone interview from the United States, Mr Andy Reif, chief executive of the CGS said:'I don't know of any sport where a player hits his coach. You may dislike or disagree with your manager, but you do not resort to hitting him.'

Mr Chia was suspended indefinitely from the CGS, but Mr Reif said: 'He can ask for reinstatement in the future and we will consider his case.'

The CGS was started last year by media giant News Corporation. It is a global professional gaming league where players are paid a monthly stipend - from US$500 (S$685) to US$3,500 a month - depending on their ranking and whether it is the on- or off-season. The gamers can still keep their day jobs.

Matches are telecast globally over 40 TV channels. Sixteen teams - each comprising nine men and one woman - compete in five games, including Counter-Strike and Dead Or Alive 4, to be the best in their regions. The top teams move on to the world finals to vie for the US$1 million prize purse.

The current mess started at China's Wuhan Optical Valley Electronic Sports Stadium where the Pan-Asian leg was held.

The Swords, who were champions last year, had just lost its first two of five games. Mr Chia walked up to his manager, Mr Aaron 'Phenic' Aw, 28, hit him on the left cheek with his right hand and walked away. Mr Reif sacked Mr Chia within an hour of the incident.

Without their key player, the Swords ended fifth out of six teams, missing the berths at the July CGS world finals in Los Angeles for the top two Pan-Asian teams. Each Swords player will now get only US$500 a month instead of the US$2,500 they would have got had they finished in the top two.

But the story did not end there.

Upon his return to Singapore, Mr Chia blogged his account of the incident and blamed Mr Aw for the team's failings.

He alleged favoritism on Mr Aw's part for selecting his fiancee, Ms Daphne Chow, 28, when there were better female gamers.

His postings garnered many sympathetic online comments, with some people questioning Mr Aw's objectivity.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Mr Aw said he had remained silent so far as he had to wait for CGS approval. He defended his decision to field his fiancee, saying that she was a member of the winning team last year.

He also said he had actually chosen Ms Yvette Ng, 27 - one of the three women trained by Mr Chia - to be the main player and Ms Chow as the reserve. But Ms Ng had work commitments although she could play in July during the world finals.

Collaborating his story, Ms Ng said a deal was struck - she would be the reserve during the Pan-Asian leg but would take over from Ms Chow at the world finals.

There are also rumours that CGS might disband the Swords altogether. But last Friday, when The Sunday Times asked Mr Reif what was next for the Swords, he said: 'Aaron needs to now evaluate what went right or wrong at the event and start planning for 2009.'

ginlee@sph.com.sg