The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has demanded a full investigation take place to find out about the sexual assault allegations made by tennis player Peng Shuai.
Shuai had accused a former senior Chinese official around a month ago on Chinese social media app Weibo, but then deleted her post.
The talented tennis player had said that while she was unable to provide any evidence to support her claim. It then looked like she retracted her allegation altogether, saying that she had a consensual on-off relationship with the man.
Peng is undoubtedly one of the leading sportspersons in China. Not only does she have two Grand Slam titles to her name in the doubles category, she also made it to the semi-finals of the US Open in the singles event back in 2014.
WTA chairman and chief executive Steve Simon has asked for a full investigation to take place and has demanded an end to censorship of Peng.
“The recent events in China concerning a WTA player, Peng Shuai, are of deep concern,” Simon said.
For those unaware, social media Apps such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are not allowed in China. The country ensures that the internet is heavily censored. As a result, the private lives of top officials is rarely commented on anywhere publically.
As is the case with most Chinese senior officials, there is little information about the whereabouts of the man accused by Peng since he retired.
Where is Peng Shuai?
What is perhaps worrying for a lot of people is the fact that there is no word or trace of Peng ever since that post. This has made tennis enthusiasts and other concerned parties believe that something is not quite right.
I can’t believe this is even happening in the 21st century #WhereIsPengShuai
— Liam Broady (@Liambroady) November 14, 2021
Even players such as USA’s Chris Evert, France’s Alize Cornet and England’s Liam Broady have taken to social media and started the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai in support of Peng.
Yes, these accusations are very disturbing. I’ve known Peng since she was 14; we should all be concerned; this is serious; where is she? Is she safe? Any information would be appreciated.? https://t.co/RH0aYCDqQm
— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) November 14, 2021
“This is serious; where is she? Is she safe?” Evert said.
It is worth noting that this is the first time since the #MeToo movement that a prominent member of the Chinese government has come under such public scrutiny.
At SportItNow, we hope that there will soon be some positive news to share about Peng Shuai.
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