On Thursday one of the most decorated Grand Slam champions in the history of women’s tennis became the latest name to call for urgent information concerning Peng Shuai to be released.
In a statement Serena Williams said she is ‘devastated’ over the news about the Chinese player and called for an investigation into the allegations which she has made. On November 2nd a post was published on Shuai’s Weibo account in which she accused a former senior political figure in her country of sexual assault and said they had a and-and-off affair over a 10-year period. That post was deleted within 30 minutes of it being published, restrictions were placed on Shuai’s Weibo account and she has not been seen in public since.
In a country where authorities are known to punish those who dare to criticise the government, Shuai’s disappearance has sparked concern from the entire sport who has vowed not to back down. The WTA, ATP and ITF have all issued statements calling for a proper investigation to be launched into the allegations and numerous players have used the hashtag ‘WhereIsPengShuai’ on Twitter.
The only sign of communication which has come from Shuai within the past two weeks is a dubious letter that was uploaded on Twitter by CGTV, a Chinese news outlet which is controlled by the Publicity Department of China’s ruling Communist Party. In it, she allegedly sent an email saying she never wrote those allegations and she is not missing. However, many have questioned the legitimacy of the letter. Including Steve Simon who is the head of the WTA.
“I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her. Peng Shuai displayed incredible courage in describing an allegation of sexual assault against a former top official in the Chinese government. The WTA and the rest of the world need independent and verifiable proof that she is safe. I have repeatedly tried to reach her via numerous forms of communication, to no avail.” Simon commented.
Tennis is showing no signs of backing down when it comes to challenging the Chinese government and even Amnesty International has issued a statement expressing their concerns. It appears that the international community has a united front when it comes to Shuai but there is one significant anomaly.
The International Olympic Committee is perhaps one of the most influential boards in the world of sport. It is they who assign Olympics Games to various countries and is the governing body of more than 200 Olympic committees worldwide. Whilst Simon issued a statement expressing his doubts about if Shuai had written the letter, the I.O.C had a somewhat different response.
“We have seen the latest reports and are encouraged by assurances that she is safe,” an official declaration read on Thursday.
It appears that the I.O.C is reluctant to get involved in the situation despite the influence they have. Next year the winter Olympics will be held in China and it is the job of the committee to make sure the country operates in a fair and safe way related to the Games. One of their core values is ‘to act against any form of discrimination affecting the Olympic Movement.’
In a separate statement issued to Inside The Games, the I.O.C suggested that the best way to deal with the Shuai case is to remain silent.
“Experience shows that quiet diplomacy offers the best opportunity to find a solution for questions of such nature,” they said.
“This explains why the IOC will not comment any further at this stage.”
In reality, the I.O.C is reluctant to meddle in anything related to China and its government which doesn’t have an impact on the upcoming Olympic Games. The fact a former Olympian has gone missing after accusing a government official of sexual assault appears to be of no interest to them.
This is not the first time the I.O.C has refused to stand up against China. Just a couple weeks ago a senior member dismissed calls that the country should be challenged over its human rights record before the 2022 Games. IOC Vice President John Coates was recently asked about the allegations of genocide against Uighurs and other Muslim minority groups in the country.
“We are not a world government. We have to respect the sovereignty of the countries who are hosting the games,” he replied.
Pressed further about his stance, Coates basically admitted that the focus of the I.O.C is only on making sure that no human rights violations are committed related to the Games.
“The I.O.C’s remit is to ensure that there is no human rights abuses in respect of the conduct of the Games within the National Olympic Committees or within the Olympic movement,” he said.
“We have no ability to go into a country and tell them what to do. All we can do is to award the Olympics to a country, under conditions set out in a host contract … and then ensure they are followed.”
The I.O.C does many good things for the sport in showcasing what is one of the greatest sporting events in the world. However, their calls for ‘silent diplomacy’ concerning Shuai and reluctance to question the legitimacy of her letter can only been seen as an unwillingness to criticise a country which will hold one of their events.
Fortunately for Shuai, Tennis is not afraid to make this challenge.
