November 14, (THEWILL) – The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has demanded a fair and transparent investigation into sexual charges levelled against a former Chinese vice-premier.
In a post on the Chinese microblogging website Weibo, 35-year-old Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai accused Zhang Gaoli, 75, of sexual coercion. The post was quickly removed from the website, along with the rest of the player’s stuff.
The WTA also demanded that any manner of restriction or censorship of the former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion, who is one of China’s most famous athletes, be lifted.
“The recent events in China concerning a WTA player, Peng Shuai, are of deep concern,” said WTA Tour chairman and CEO Steve Simon in a statement.
“Peng Shuai, and all women, deserve to be heard, not censored.
“Her accusation about the conduct of a former Chinese leader involving a sexual assault must be treated with the utmost seriousness.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
