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Updated November 19th, 2021 at 15:27 IST

WTA chief warns to pull tournaments out of China if Peng Shuai's safety not taken care of

The WTA has threatened to pull its tournaments out of China if tennis star Peng Shuai is not fully accounted for and her allegation not properly investigated.

Reported by: Anurag Roushan
WTA
Image: Twitter/@Benoit Maylin/AP | Image:self
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The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has threatened to pull its tournaments out of China if tennis star Peng Shuai is not fully accounted for and her allegation of sexual assault against China's former Vice Premier is not properly probed. "We are ready to abandon our business and deal with all the consequences that come with it. Because it is unquestionably larger than the business," WTA chairman Steve Simon was quoted as saying by CNN. He further added that women must be respected rather than censored. Peng, a former world No. 1 in doubles tennis, has not been seen in the public eye since accusing Zhang Gaoli,  former Chinese Vice Premier, of sexual assault. 

On November 2, she had accused Zhang in a Weibo post that was deleted half an hour later. In her lengthy post, she had claimed that Zhang had forced her into sex after inviting her to his house three years ago, reported CNN. Her Weibo account, which records over half a million followers, is still inaccessible to search engines. Meanwhile, Simon's strong stance has put the tennis chief on a collision path with Chinese authorities, who have so far refused to officially acknowledge Peng's charges. Simon also stated that the WTA had spoken with counterparts at the Chinese Tennis Association, who had assured him that Peng was safe in Beijing. However, attempts to contact Peng directly have been futile as of now, he told the outlet. 

WTA failed to establish contact with Peng Shuai

"We tried our best to reach her on her every phone number, email address and all other forms of contact but to no avail. We have tried a slew of digital methods to reach out, but we have yet to receive a response from her," Simon was quoted as saying by CNN. Meanwhile, Chinese state-run media revealed an email supposedly sent by Peng to Simon earlier this week, rebutting her charges and claiming that she was doing fine. Despite the fact that Peng is a big name in China, the alleged email was exclusively distributed on English-language platforms, with no local Chinese media reporting on its contents, reported the outlet. 

When asked to respond about the email, Simon questioned its authenticity, describing it as a "manufactured statement of some sort," adding that he is yet to get a follow-up response despite immediately replying to the mail, reported CNN. It is worth mentioning here that tennis has become more popular in China over the last few years, with several Chinese players making their places in the global rankings. The WTA has also made a significant effort into China in recent years. The WTA Finals in 2019 moved from Singapore to Shenzhen, China's southernmost city, entering into a ten-year agreement.

Image: Twitter/@Benoit Maylin/AP

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Published November 19th, 2021 at 15:27 IST

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