December 01, (THEWILL) – Due to continued worries over Chinese female professional tennis player Peng Shuai’s safety, the WTA has proceeded with its threat to halt all tournaments in China.
As THEWILL reported, Peng accused Zhang Gaoli, a former Chinese Communist Party vice premier, of alleged sexual coercion in November. Her Weibo account has been deactivated since then, and she has not been seen in public unaccompanied since.
This raised concerns about her safety and whereabouts around the world, particularly among professional tennis players.
The veracity of two recordings provided by Chinese official media, one purporting to show Peng at dinner and the other purporting to show her at a junior tennis event in Beijing in late November, has been extensively questioned.
THEWILL recalls that Peng held a video chat with Thomas Bach, the head of the International Olympic Committee, in late November, where she stated that she is safe and well.
However, Steve Simon, the WTA chairman and CEO, has now released a statement saying that he still had “serious doubts that she is free, safe and not subject to censorship, coercion and intimidation”, and “in good conscience, I don’t see how I can ask our athletes to compete there when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault”.
Part of the statement pertaining to the suspension read: “As a result, and with the full support of the WTA Board of Directors, I am announcing the immediate suspension of all WTA tournaments in China, including Hong Kong. In good conscience, I don’t see how I can ask our athletes to compete there when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault.
“Given the current state of affairs, I am also greatly concerned about the risks that all of our players and staff could face if we were to hold events in China in 2022.
“I very much regret it has come to this point. The tennis communities in China and Hong Kong are full of great people with whom we have worked for many years. They should be proud of their achievements, hospitality and success.
“However, unless China takes the steps we have asked for, we cannot put our players and staff at risk by holding events in China. China’s leaders have left the WTA with no choice. I remain hopeful that our pleas will be heard and the Chinese authorities will take steps to legitimately address this issue.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
