After the cancellation of the tournaments in the Asian country, the Chinese government replies: “We are firmly opposed to this type of action”
threat
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Yesterday Steve Simon, the WTA boss, had lived up to his threat by deciding to suspend all tournaments in China. “I don’t see how I could ask my players to go play there when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has apparently been pressured to contradict his sexual assault allegations,” he explained in a press release. Simon has received the support of Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, former world number 1, who welcomed the decision. Just like Novak Djokovic, currently playing with Serbia in the Davis Cup.
the case
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The Peng Shuai case has rocked the tennis world in the past few weeks. After denouncing Zhang Gaoli, former Chinese vice premier and high-ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party, of sexual violence that occurred about ten years earlier, the tennis player was missing for days. Then suspicious statements emerged in which he belittled what had happened. On November 20, two videos of Peng Shuai were released in a restaurant in Beijing, followed by two others of Peng herself during a tennis event while signing autographs. The international press had questioned the authenticity of the contents. The next day, Peng Shuai took part in a video conference with some members of the International Olympic Committee from his home in Beijing, confirming that he was safe. But the WTA believes that Peng Shuai is still in danger and the reassurances have come under threat from the Beijing regime.
December 2, 2021 (change December 2, 2021 | 10:35 am)
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