tennis players Association is the leading organizer of sports events to stand up to Beijing on a question relating to human rights.
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tennis players Association (WTA) has put his threats: a week after staging Peng Shuai back by the Chinese state media, she announced Wednesday 1 st December it was suspending its tournaments in China. On November 2, the former world number one twice accused the former Minister Zhang Gaoli rape, in a long story – immediately censored – published on the Chinese social network Weibo, before disappearing almost three weeks <. p>
The WTA had quickly expressed concern, accompanying a campaign launched by the players to ask, “Where is Peng Shuai” The association became the first to frontally oppose China, where most organizations sporting avoid offending the second largest economy to continue to do business.
“If the powerful can censor the voices of women, and sweeping accusations of sexual assault under the carpet, then the basis on which the WTA was founded – equality for women – would suffer greatly, writes President of the WTA, Steve Simon, in a statement. That is why, with the full support of the board of directors of the WTA, I announced the immediate suspension of all WTA tournaments in China, including Hong Kong. in good conscience, I can not see how I can ask our athletes to participate when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has, apparently, been pressured to retract his allegations of assault sexual. China’s leaders did not leave a choice to the WTA, “he added.
Position” very strong and very courageous “
Several players, including Czech Petra Kvitova and French Alize Cornet, congratulated the president of the association on Twitter. The world number men’s tour, Novak Djokovic, also said on the sidelines of the Davis Cup. “I totally support the position of the WTA, because we do not have enough information about Peng Shuai (…) I think the position of the WTA is very strong and very courageous. “in contrast, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) welcomed last week, he could converse with the video player. The organization said it was “relieved that Peng Shuai was doing well.”
In China, the case is still taboo, but the decision of the WTA caused some enthusiastic comments on social networks, quickly censored. The Foreign Ministry has repeatedly declined to comment on the case, on the grounds that “it is not a diplomatic problem,” even threatening journalists asking too many questions on the subject at his daily news conference.
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