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Tennis

WTA Tournaments in China Suspended Over Peng Shuai Concerns

All hell broke loose a few weeks ago when the Chinees tennis player Peng Shuai seemingly dropped off the face of the Earth after accusing a former government official of assault. The aftermath of her accusations was dire, and WTA is now taking a public stand against China by suspending tournaments in this country. WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon announced the news in an official statement, saying that they can’t, in good conscience, ask athletes to compete in a country where Peng Shuai wasn’t allowed to communicate freely. “Unfortunately, the leadership in China has not addressed this very serious issue in any credible way. While we now know where Peng is, I have serious doubts that she is free, safe, and not subject to censorship, coercion, and intimidation,” said Simon. Simon added that he has the full support of the WTA Board of Directors to halt the games in China and Hong Kong until the authorities in this country do a “full and transparent investigation – without censorship” into Peng’s accusations. Peng Shuai raised concerns in early November, with a social media post accusing the former Chinese vice premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. Her post has been promptly removed, and her whereabouts became a matter of international concern after she disappeared from the public eye. The International Olympic Committee later claimed they got in touch with Peng and that she’s “doing fine”, but her reappearance didn’t ease concerns about her safety due to the lack of freedom of expression and transparency in China.