After Peng Shuai's Disappearance, WTA Will Not Play Tournaments In China
After the tennis player Peng Shuai has disappeared in the meantime , the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) does not want to organize any more tournaments in China in the future.
He could not ask the athletes "with a clear conscience" to take part in tournaments, said association boss Steven Simon.
Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has apparently been pressured to back up her allegations of sexual abuse
If powerful people can suppress women's voices and sweep allegations of sexual abuse under the rug, then the foundation on which the WTA was founded - equality for women - would suffer a huge setback
I will not and cannot allow this to happen to the WTA and its players, China leaders would have given the WTA no other choice
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The association had clearly stated what was necessary.
We reiterate our call for a full and transparent investigation without censorship
On November 2, the 35-year-old Peng accused senior communist party official Zhang Gaoli of raping her on the Chinese online service Weibo. The allegations disappeared from the platform shortly afterwards, and Peng was not seen in public for more than two weeks.
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She was searched for under the hashtag #WhereisPengshuai, and well-known players also commented on the case. After increasing pressure, China's state media released recordings showing Peng in a restaurant and at a tennis tournament in Beijing. However, the WTA described these images as untrustworthy. Simon also said he had received two emails from Peng in which "the responses were clearly influenced by others".
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Boycott could cost WTA millions
No other sports organization has so obviously messed with the Olympic host country. China is a major sponsor of the Ladies Tour with a number of events. There is an ongoing ten-year contract with the city of Shenzen to host the WTA finals. Ending relationships could cost the tennis association millions.
The Chinese government has not yet taken a position on the case and dismissed the attention of Peng as "deliberate and malicious". The EU has already called for " verifiable evidence " and clarification of the rape allegations.
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Barbara Rittner, the national coach of the German Tennis Association, was one of the first to praise the WTA's move. "This is consistent and exemplary action. Everything must be done to guarantee the well-being of the players. This is also a sign to the younger generation that the WTA is taking responsibility. I am proud of the WTA," she said Süddeutsche Zeitung.
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Former world-class player and first WTA president Billie Jean King said she thinks it's good that the WTA has "taken a strong stand in defense of human rights in China and around the world". That is one of the reasons why women’s tennis is leading in women’s sport. The WTA is "on the right side of history".
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"This kind of leadership is brave and is needed to ensure that the rights of all individuals are protected and all voices are heard," said the US Tennis Association.
"IOC, what do you say?"
The case is becoming even more explosive due to the upcoming Winter Games in Beijing in February and the ongoing criticism of the host country. The International Olympic Committee, with its German boss Thomas Bach, could be forced to act as a result of the WTA's actions. The former world number one Martina Navratilova, for example, praised the WTA on Twitter and wrote: "IOC, what are you saying? So far, I can hardly hear you." On Sunday, Bach made a half-hour video call with the double winner at Wimbledon and at the French Open.
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Foreign minister-designate Annalena Baerbock (Alliance 90 / The Greens) did not categorically rule out a boycott of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. When asked how she felt about a boycott, she said in an interview with the daily newspaper:
When I see how China's leadership deals with the tennis player Peng Shuai or with the arrested citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, we should of course also take a closer look at the Olympic Games There are different ways of dealing with this for governments, which will certainly be discussed in the coming weeks
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