Parents say Sun is not free to speak
In what's quickly developing into a daily soap opera, the parents of Sun Yingjie, a top Chinese athlete who is facing a two-year suspension for a doping offence, have accused her coach of beating her when she asked him for some of the bonuses she had earned, according to mainland media reports.
Sun's mother, Ma Guilan, said that coach Wang Dexian denied her daughter access to the bonuses she won at the Asian Games in 2002 and in various international events since. When Sun's father was diagnosed with cancer three years ago Wang would only give her 5,000 yuan for medical treatment at first, she told Titan Sports newspaper, but apparently increased it to 20,000 yuan after the family pleaded with him for more.
'She was entitled to much more than that. And when my daughter went back to the training camp Wang beat her for two hours. All the athletes were too afraid to stop him,' Sun's mother said. 'It took her a month to recover, during which time she stayed in Wang's mother's house. After that we were afraid to ask again for money.' She said her daughter still gets occasional headaches, which she attributes to that beating.
Ma alleged that Wang also beat the 26-year-old athlete in Pusan during the Asian Games when she refused to eat some beef that had been served.
'He hit her and forced her to eat the meat,' she said.
Her father, Sun Fengyou, said they had been afraid of speaking publicly about Wang's behaviour as they feared he would take it out on his daughter. But in light of the doping scandal, it appears Wang's national team coaching career is coming to an end.
With the reports of Wang's treatment creating a buzz on the mainland, Sun gave a short interview to CCTV on December 25, in which she denied her coach had kept her bonuses. She did not mention the beating allegations. 'I am clear about all the bonuses I got. The situation is not as some media have reported,' she said.
A CCTV reporter said yesterday that Wang had called the channel and arranged the interview, saying Sun had something crucial to say.
It was the first interview Sun has given since she tested positive for androsterone in October after coming second in the 10,000 metres at the National Games. She had won the Beijing marathon the day before she failed the test.
'Coach Wang has been with me for 11 years. His concern for me has even surpassed the concern my parents have for me,' she told the TV channel.
When her parents heard her comments, her mother said: 'There are some things she will not dare say. She has no freedom when she is with Wang Dexian,' she said.
