(COMBO) This combination of file photos shows tennis player Peng Shuai of China (L) during her women's singles first round match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 16, 2017; and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (R) during a visit to Russia at the Saint Petersburg International Investment Forum in Saint Petersburg on June 18, 2015. - Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai said she was safe and well during a video call with the International Olympic Committee chief on November 21, 2021, the organisation said, amid international concern about her well-being after being seen attending a Beijing tennis tournament, marking her first public appearance since she made her accusations against former vice premier Zhang Gaoli. (Photo by Paul CROCK and Alexander ZEMLIANICHENKO / AFP) (Photo by PAUL CROCK,ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/AFP via Getty Images)
Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai says her allegations of sexual assault were false
World No. 307 Peng Shuai has told L’Equipe that global concern over her health is based on “an enormous misunderstanding.”
She denied having accused a high-ranking Chinese official of being sexually assaulted. The interview with L’Equipe was held in Beijing, where she answered important questions.
L’Equipe, a French sports newspaper displayed the message on Monday. They said that they spoke to Shuai on Sunday in a Beijing hotel.
The IOC said Peng was at the China-Norway Olympic curling match with Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe.
IOC President Thomas Bach also reportedly had dinner with Peng on Saturday. This is all during the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics. The event has raised international concerns about Uyghur Muslims abuse and Peng’s situation.
Interestingly, the newspaper gave a written document first. Thereafter, a Chinese Olympic committee official sat in and translated Peng’s comments to English.
Photos of Shuai came online showed her wearing a red track-suit top with “China” written.
The controversy started when Shuai tweeted through her social media account in November. She wrote that Zhang Gaoli, a former vice-premier and member of the Politburo Standing Committee forced her to have sex despite the refusal of consent. The message also included an admission of her having feelings for the mentioned. This happened during the 2013-14 season.
The world was stunned since the tweet as Shuai was reportedly ‘missing.’ The WTA players united to spread awareness for Shuai. The interview with L’Equipe was her first from a non-Chinese media organisation.
“Sexual assault? I never said that anyone made me submit to a sexual assault. This post resulted in an enormous misunderstanding from the outside world. My wish is that the meaning of this post no longer be skewed.”
The lengthy post was deleted from Peng’s account on Weibo. “I erased it.
“Why? Because I wanted to,” she added. (h/t FirstPost)
“I was to say first of all that emotions, sport and politics are three clearly separate things,” the newspaper also wrote. “My romantic problems, my private life, should not be mixed with sport and politics.”
Peng Shuai last played at the Australian Open in 2020 and has been down in the ranking since then.
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