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Peng, bar a video name with IOC president Thomas Bach and a clip having dinner equipped by Chinese language state media, has not been seen in public since accusations of sexual assault in opposition to former China vice-premier Zhang Gaoli.
WTA chief govt Steve Simon, with full backing of the board, made the choice on Wednesday night time night time to droop all its tournaments in China due to critical doubts that the 35-year-old was “free, secure and never topic to intimidation”. He mentioned: “In good conscience, I don’t see how I can ask our athletes to compete there”.
That transfer is prone to show pricey to the WTA. In 2019, China hosted 9 WTA tournaments with a complete of £22.6million in prize cash.
Regardless of it being to the apparent detriment of the WTA’s funds, Djokovic backed the “very daring and brave” transfer.
He mentioned: “I help totally the WTA’s stance as a result of we don’t have sufficient details about Peng Shuai and her wellbeing.”
That was echoed by former world No1 and WTA founder Billie Jean King. She mentioned: “That is another excuse why ladies’s tennis is the chief in ladies’s sports activities. The WTA is on the fitting aspect of historical past in supporting our gamers.”
As well as, Martina Navratilova heralded the physique’s “courageous stance” and referred to as on the IOC to additionally make a stance.
In response, China mentioned that it “opposes the politicisation of sports activities”.
The IOC have since claimed to have had a second video name with Peng and deliberate to fulfill together with her in January.
“We share the identical concern as many different individuals and organisations concerning the wellbeing and security of Peng Shuai. For this reason, simply yesterday, an IOC staff held one other video name together with her,” they mentioned on Thursday.
“We’ve supplied her wide-ranging help, will keep in common contact together with her, and have already agreed on a private assembly in January.”
The IOC added that Peng seemed to be “secure and effectively given the tough scenario she is in.”
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