“Courageous”: WTA suspends tennis tournaments in China over Peng Shuai case
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Peng Shuai
China, known for blatantly abusing human rights is finding it tough to tackle the Peng Shuai issue. Despite several attempts to convince the world of her well-being, the general public has not favored them, and rightly so. Right from the White House to the European Union, all are putting China’s Communist Party under pressure to do the needful.
Fearing a global boycott, China came out with a number of solutions to put an end to this controversy. They issued a letter, allegedly written by Peng to the WTA Chairman. Moreover, they also organized a video call between Peng and Thomas Bach which was also not accepted as credible evidence by many, and now, the WTA Chairman’s latest statement has made it even tougher for them to push the matter under the rug.
“We cannot put our players and staff at risk by holding events in China”: Steve Simon
WTA Chairman Steve Simon claimed that they wanted Chinese authorities to take the matter seriously as soon as it surfaced. “When on November 2, 2021, Peng Shuai posted an allegation of sexual assault against a top Chinese government official, the Women’s Tennis Association recognized that Peng Shuai’s message had to be listened to and taken seriously,” the statement said.
Steve claimed that despite knowing the dangers she would face, Peng told the truth and the association admires her strength and courage. He added that despite ample time given to the Chinese authorities, they failed to do the needful. “Chinese officials have been provided the opportunity to cease this censorship, verifiably prove that Peng is free and able to speak without interference or intimidation, and investigate the allegation of sexual assault in a full, fair and transparent manner. Unfortunately, the leadership in China has not addressed this very serious issue in any credible way.“
“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,” the statement read. Steve also clarified that unless China takes relevant steps, the association will not put its players and staff at risk by holding events in China.
Also read: “China & Human Rights Abuse”: The Peng Shuai Story tells the reality of the Communist Party in China
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Shubham Bhargava
(1813 Articles Published)