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Leading tennis players have backed the Chinese women’s tennis organization’s move to suspend the Chinese championships out of concern. Peng Shuai, Moe accused former leader of the Communist Party of sexual assaults.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which made a second video call with the Chinese player, has received criticism for handling the situation amid concerns over the player’s safety.
Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) he made the decision Steve Simon said his president was suffering from “serious doubts” about Peng’s security.
Simon reiterated his call on China to conduct a “full and transparent investigation – without censorship”, Peng said.
The WTA’s move to suspend tournaments in China, including Hong Kong, won the support of some of the biggest tennis names, including men’s first Novak Djokovic and women’s tour founder Billie Jean King.
The decision could cost the WTA hundreds of millions of dollars because China is one of its largest markets.
Djokovic described the WTA’s stance as “very bold and very courageous,” while King tweeted that the 12-time Grand Slam winner was on the WTA’s “right side of history.”
Great tennis player Martina Navratilova challenged me to respond to the IOC by writing on Twitter: “So far I can hardly hear you !!!”
China will host the Beijing Winter Olympics in February.
The IOC, whose chairman Thomas Bach spoke to Peng for 30 minutes on November 21 in one of his first contacts with a Western organization, said he had made a second call on Wednesday.
The call confirmed that Peng was “safe and well, given the difficult situation he is in,” the IOC said.
Bach criticized Peng’s failure to meet security requirements after the first call, and the IOC defended his approach in a statement on Thursday.
“We are using ‘quiet diplomacy’, given the situation and the experience of governments and other organizations, which is the most promising way to move forward effectively on humanitarian issues,” the IOC said.
But uncertainty over Peng has sparked calls for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games over China’s human rights history.
“With a clear conscience, I don’t see how I can ask our athletes to compete there when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and is apparently pressured to contradict the sexual assault allegation,” Simon said.
Human rights activist Michael Caster praised the WTA for its efforts to crack down on China’s efforts to cover up the incident.
“The fact that the Women’s Tennis Association has shown greater credibility than the International Olympic Committee or greater credibility than Interpol is touching on these types of performances that are clearly and compelling from China,” Caster told Al Jazeera.
“It shows how far we have to go. Whether the IOC or Interpol has become a propaganda tool for China, while the WTO has challenged it, is a real mark for the WTA. ”
‘Serious questions’
The Chinese Tennis Association on Thursday expressed “outrage and strong opposition” to the WTA announcement, the state-run Global Times reported.
And Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the country was “against actions to politicize the sport.”
Peng, a 35-year-old Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion, has been at the center of international concern for the past month.
He was not seen for weeks following his allegations on a similar Weibo platform on Twitter that Zhang, now 70, had been forced to have sex during a year-long relationship.
His allegations, published on November 2, were quickly removed from the Internet in China, and online discussions about them continue to be censored. Zhang did not respond.
The Global Times on Thursday accused the WTA of “excessive spectacle” and “coercion” in an editorial published solely on Twitter. [Peng] Complaining about the imagination and expectations of Western public opinion. ”
Peng’s protests against Zhang are the first time the Chinese #MeToo movement has touched the top levels of the ruling Communist Party.
State media reported an email to Peng and a photo of him at a Beijing tennis event as evidence of his safety.
Simon said he still “had serious doubts about being free, safe and not under censorship, coercion and intimidation.”
The European Union, the United Nations, the United States and the United Kingdom have called for Peng’s whereabouts and well-being to be proven.
Millions of dollars
Next year’s WTA calendar has not yet been announced, but China is unlikely to host major international sports – with the exception of the Olympics – due to strict coronavirus policies soon.
In 2019, China hosted 10 WTA events with a total prize pool of $ 30 million.
Speaking to CNN, Simon said he was unable to contact Peng directly despite several attempts.
Whether they contacted the WTA or the corporate sponsors of other major sports businesses in China, such as the NBA, Simon said, “We haven’t heard from the Olympics and other properties involved in China.
“Our position here is very, very clear: I can only imagine the range of emotions and feelings that Peng will go through right now.
“We hope he feels this is nothing to blame and that we are very proud of him.”
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