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Peng Shuai: Tennis player would have appeared in Beijing, according to released material

In recent days, the case of the tennis player’s absence Peng Shuai took great relevance, since after an accusation he made at the beginning of November against an important leader of her country, for having forced her to maintain sexual intercourseHe hadn’t had a public appearance since then; however, the athlete allegedly appeared in Beijing this weekend.

Was Peng Shuai seen in Beijing?

The Chinese tennis star, Peng Shuai, would have appeared this Sunday in a tournament tennis in Beijing, according to official photos of the event, after international pressure increased to request information on his whereabouts.

The athlete was apparently seen wearing a blue jacket and white sweatpants at the children’s tennis tournament. Fila Kids Junior Tennis Challenger Finals, according to the photos released in the official profile of the China Open on the Weibo social network. This would be his first official appearance since he reported his case of sexual abuse, which was censored on the Chinese internet.

Peng Shuai, 35, a former world number one in doubles, has not come out publicly since he accused Zhang Gaoli, a powerful former leader of the Communist Party Chinese 40 years older than her, for having forced her to keep sexual intercourse.

There is a bit of uncertainty if Peng Shuai was actually in Beijing this weekend. Photo: AFP

Following international complaints from governments and tennis stars, Chinese official media have released a wave of images to indicate that the tennis player it is in good condition.

A video tweeted this Sunday by the editor of the newspaper Global times, Hu Xijin, muestra a Peng Shuai standing in a stadium, among a group of guests whose names were being announced over the loudspeaker.

A journalist from Global Times tweeted another video of Peng signing autographs for children in what appears to be the same stadium, before posing with them for photos.

The videos are in addition to other images released by Hu on Saturday night, the first of which shows the athlete entering a restaurant wearing a coat, hat and mask. There is a sign that says Beijing Yibin Guesthouse, a restaurant of Beijing owned by the local Sichuan government.

In the second video, Peng Shuai she is without a mask sitting at a table talking with other people. Hu tweeted in English that the second video shows the athlete having dinner with her coach and friends at a restaurant on Saturday in Beijing.

The AFP could not verify the authenticity of the videos, and in the absence of a statement from the tennis player, it is unknown if her appearance was true.

International Olympic Committee manages to contact her

This November 21, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that its president, Thomas Bach, made a video call with the athlete.

He was joined by the President of the IOC Athletes Commission, Emma Terho, and the IOC member in China, Li Lingwei, who knows Peng Shuai since many years

International Olympic Committee

At the beginning of the 30 minute call, Peng Shuai He thanked the IOC for their concern for his well-being. She explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but that she would like her privacy to be respected at this time.

That is why he prefers to spend his time with friends and family, yet he will continue to participate in tennis, the sport he “loves so much”.

I was relieved to see that Peng Shuai was fine, which was our main concern. It seemed to be relaxed. I offered him our support and to be in contact at any time of his convenience, which he obviously appreciated

Emma Terho

At the end of the call, IOC President Bach invited Peng Shuai to dinner once he arrived in Beijing next January, which she gladly accepted, and the two agreed to include Emma Terho and Li Lingwei.

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