China’s women’s volleyball team cause a stir online after wearing face masks in Asian Cup win over Iran
- China lose first set against Iran in Pasig City, but win next three after taking off masks to complete 3-1 victory
- Reigning champions next face Australia in quarter-finals on Saturday, but sparked a backlash on social media
China’s women’s volleyball team have caused a stir on Weibo after wearing N95 masks during their Asian Cup victory over Iran on Thursday.
The national side won 3-1 to complete a clean sweep of Pool A and wrap up top spot, having already qualified for the knockout stages after wins over South Korea, Vietnam, and hosts the Philippines.
But the reigning champions suffered a shock setback when they surrendered the first set at Philsports Arena in Pasig City while wearing face masks for the first time at the tournament.
Most of the players then took the masks off, and China rebounded to win the next three games for a 24-26, 25-19, 25-10, 25-13 victory.
China next face Australia in the quarter-finals on Saturday, but their decision to wear face masks sparked a big debate on Twitter-like social media platform Weibo after the match.
“Wearing a mask in the first game and losing, it seems that the lack of oxygen is indeed not good,” one user wrote. “In the second game, three players also wore masks when they fell behind. After a technical timeout, all the players took off their masks.
“The next three games in a row, China won. Therefore, we should not wear it in the next competition. Not only will players not be able to exert their full strength, but it will also affect the cardiopulmonary function of the athletes.”