Beijing warns against ‘politicising’ sport after WTA pulls out of China over Peng Shuai case

WTA chief Steve Simon says ‘I don’t see how I can ask our athletes to compete in China’ as concerns for former champion’s welfare grow following sexual assault claim

International Olympic Committee holds second video call with star and defends ‘quiet diplomacy’ after being hit by backlash

4-MIN READ4-MIN

99+

The WTA has called for verifiable proof of Peng Shuai’s safety. Photo: AP

Published: 4:13pm, 2 Dec 2021Updated: 8:33pm, 2 Dec 2021

Beijing has said politics should be kept out of sport following the Women’s Tennis Association’s decision to withdraw from China over the case of former champion Peng Shuai, who accused a former senior official of sexual assault.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the ministry, responded to the withdrawal, which includes tournaments in Hong Kong, by saying: “We’ve already expressed our view. We’ve always been against behaviours politicising sports.”

Over the past three weeks, the ministry has repeatedly sidestepped questions about the case, saying the question was not related to foreign affairs. Last week, it called for “malicious speculation” about Peng to stop and warned against politicising the case.

The WTA’s chief executive Steve Simon said in a statement on Wednesday the organisation had been left with no choice and demanded verifiable proof that the former French Open and Wimbledon doubles champion was safe. He also called on Beijing to fully investigate her accusations.

“In good conscience, I don’t see how I can ask our athletes to compete [in China] when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault,” Steve Simon, the WTA’s chairman and chief executive, said in a statement overnight.

“Given the current state of affairs, I am also greatly concerned about the risks that all of our players and staff could face if we were to hold events in China in 2022.”