![]() The IOC did not explain how the call was arranged, although it has worked closely with the Chinese Olympic Committee and government officials to organize the upcoming Games. The IOC said in a statement that Peng appeared to be “doing fine” and said she had requested privacy. The IOC did not release video or a transcript of the exchange and said only that Bach reported that she said she was well. “And that’ll be a point of discussion at some point: Where do you get to cancellation? Is it 2022 only? Is it for the future? I mean, those are all questions that will come down the road.”īeijing is set to host the Winter Games beginning on February 4, and IOC President Thomas Bach said on November 21 that he spoke with Peng - a three-time Olympian - on a 30-minute video call. “We haven’t canceled, as of yet, but we’re prepared to get to that point,” Simon said on the video call. If not, the events could be moved to other countries, as happened this year, when the tour’s Asian swing was called off because of COVID-19 concerns the WTA Finals, for example, were shifted to Guadalajara, Mexico, last month. Simon said the suspension, announced Wednesday via a statement from him issued by the tour, means that tournaments could still end up being staged in China if its government follows through with his requests. Petersburg, Florida), the NBA (run out of New York) and the International Olympic Committee (Lausanne, Switzerland). The nation is a source of billions of dollars in income for various sports entities based elsewhere, including the WTA (headquartered in St. The second element of that is that we want a full and transparent - without any level of censorship - investigation on the allegations that were made.”Ĭhina typically hosts about 10 women’s tennis tournaments each year, including the prestigious season-ending WTA Finals, which are scheduled to be held there for a decade. “We still haven’t been able to have that conversation to have the comfort that what we’re seeing isn’t being orchestrated, to date. We definitely would like to have our own discussion with Peng and be comfortable that she’s truly safe and free and has not been censored, intimidated or anything like that,” Simon told The AP. “Our approach to this and our request to the authorities are consistent and they’ll stay there. 1-ranked doubles player and owner of titles at Wimbledon and the French Open. ![]() In the month since, Simon has made repeated calls for China to carry out an inquiry into the 35-year-old Peng's accusations and to allow the WTA to communicate directly with the former No. Peng dropped out of public view after raising the allegations about former vice premier Zhang Gaoli in a November 2 social media posting that was quickly taken down by Chinese authorities. WTA suspends tournaments in China over Peng Shuai controversy It is the strongest public stand against China taken by a sports body - and one that could cost the WTA millions of dollars. He said the move to put a halt to the tour’s play in China, including Hong Kong, came with the backing of the WTA Board of Directors, players, tournaments and sponsors. “This is an organizational effort that is really addressing something that’s about what’s right and wrong.” “We’re hopeful we get to the right place, but we are prepared, if it continues as it is - which hasn’t been productive to date - that we will not be operating in the region,” WTA President and CEO Steve Simon said in a video call from California. The suspension of all WTA tournaments in China because of concerns about the safety of Peng Shuai, a Grand Slam doubles champion who accused a former government official there of sexual assault, could result in cancellations of those events beyond 2022, the head of the women's professional tennis tour told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |