The world reacts to the WTA bomb against China

WTA boss Steve Simon has received widespread praise in the tennis world bombing suspends all events in China.

Simon announced an amazing decision on Wednesday, after which it threatened to pull the WTA out of China because the country has dealt with the Peng Shuai scandal.

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Peng disappeared from publicity last month after claiming that former Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli forced him into sex before they had a consensus.

Chinese authorities quickly deleted Peng’s social media message on November 2 and only he reappeared to the public for the first time after three weeks of disappearance.

Simon has previously demanded that China testify that Peng is not censored and his claims are taken seriously.

“Unfortunately, the Chinese leadership has not addressed this very serious issue in any credible way,” WTA chairman and CEO Simon wrote in a statement Wednesday.

“Even though we now know where Peng is, I seriously doubt whether he is free, safe and not subject to censorship, coercion and intimidation.”

Simon has repeatedly called for a “full and open investigation” into Peng’s allegations – without censorship.

He said the decision to halt his tour in China, including in Hong Kong, received the full support of the WTA board.

“With a good conscience, I don’t understand how I can ask our athletes to compete there when Peng Shuai isn’t allowed to communicate freely and he’s apparently pressured to deny his allegations of sexual violence,” Simon said.

“Given the current situation, I am also very concerned about the risks that all of our players and staff may face if we host events in China in 2022.”

China typically hosts about 10 women’s tennis tournaments each year, including the prestigious season-ending WTA Finals, which are set to be held there for ten years.

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WTA Finals is said to bring in about $ 1.4 million in revenue for the Chinese authorities.

The nation receives billions of dollars in revenue for several sports facilities located elsewhere, including the WTA, the NBA and the International Olympic Committee.

The tennis world praises Steve Simon’s move against China

Simon’s bombing shop has received praise around the world.

“I thank Steve Simon and the WTA leadership for taking a strong stand in defending human rights in China and around the world,” said Billie Jean King, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and a pioneer of women’s tennis.

“The WTA is determined to be on the right side of history in defending the rights of our players. This is yet another reason why women’s tennis is at the forefront of women’s sports.”

Another female pioneer, Martina Navratilova, wrote, “This is the bold attitude of Steve Simon and the WTA, where we put the principle above the $ and defend women everywhere and especially for Peng Shua.”

Aussie star John Millman added: “Really strong attitude. Much bigger things in the world than tennis.”

Beijing is scheduled to host the Winter Olympics in February and IOC chairman Thomas Bach said last month that he was talking to Peng – a three-time Olympic champion – in a 30-minute video call.

The IOC did not publish a video or transcript of the exchange and said only that Bach said he was healthy.

The IOC said in a statement that Peng appeared to be “doing well” and said he had asked for privacy.

The IOC did not explain how the call was organized, although it has worked closely with the Chinese Olympic Committee and government authorities to organize the upcoming Games.

Critics have suggested that Peng would not have called the IOC if he was really free to speak.

With AAP

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