This could happen with 'your precious' if you give it over to the airport luggage handlers
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Snooker pro Anthony Hamilton arrived to play at Gibraltar Open only to find his cue in this condition. He had to withdraw
The photo was posted on Twitter by another pro player Alfie Burden.
Note how the cue extender looks like after the damage incurred. And all that given the fact he must have been using what they refer to a 'sports tube' to secure the cue case. Accoring to one of the comments on Twitter from other participant, "when the cues were coming off earlier in the week it was a steep ramp and then a 90 deg turn".