Tennis: UN demands clarification in the fall of Peng Shuai
Serena Williams is “shocked”, the WTA players’ organization is making threats against China and the United Nations are also pushing for Peng Shuai to be clarified in the fall. After the tennis player’s disappearance, the pressure on the host of the 2022 Winter Olympics continues to grow.
“We would like to emphasize that it is important to know where she is and how she is doing,” said Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva on Friday: “We will urge that there be an investigation with full Gives transparency to their allegations of sexual assault. “
The WTA players’ organization will too. Their boss Steve Simon can no longer take tough measures and threatened to withdraw WTA tournaments from the Middle Kingdom. “We are definitely into it and would cause all the complications that come with the rules,” said the official in a CNN interview. It is estimated that the WTA could lose hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of this move. But Simon saw clearly: “This is bigger than the business. Women have to be respected and not censored. “
The concerns about the 35-year-old former world number one in doubles are great worldwide. Peng Shuai wrote on the Twitter-like medium Weibo earlier this month that she was sexually abused by her lover, former Vice Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli, 75 (we reported). The entry has been deleted, Peng has allegedly been missing for days.
The state is silent
On Wednesday, the Chinese state media published an email allegedly from Peng Shuai. “I am neither missed, nor am I not sure. I only rest at home, everything is fine, ”it says. The doubts about the authenticity of the letter are great. Chinese authorities continue to leave unanswered inquiries about the player’s whereabouts.
For Dagmar Freitag (SPD), the matter is an example of what happened in China. “Everyone for whom the values of sport are important, when and who are very worried about Peng Shuai,” said Freitag, previous chairman of the sports committee at Der TZ and Münchner Merkur: “Fall into the image of this country that barracks people, interned and in the worst case also kills. “
In the case of Peng Shuai, more and more prominent companions are expressing themselves via social media, including those from men. Alexander Zverev was concerned. “I hope it will be found soon,” said the Olympic champion at the ATP finals in Turin: “We’re not talking about a tennis match here, we’re talking about a human life.”
Above all, Naomi Osaka (Japan) will not give up and support more and more female colleagues. US star Serena Williams was horrified. “I am devastated and shocked by the news about my colleague Peng Shuai. I hope it is safe and will be found as soon as possible “, wrote the 23-time Grand Slam winner on Twitter and demanded:” This must be investigated and we must not be silent. ” sid