BBefore Steve Simon announced what should be taken for granted and what is not, he summed up. In his statement on Wednesday evening, the head of the professional organization WTA first described everything that has happened so far in the case of the Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai.
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How she accused a formerly high-ranking politician of sexual assault on the Weibo social network at the beginning of November. How your post was quickly deleted by the censors and a debate about it was prevented. How it has been asked again and again to open a full and transparent investigation into the allegations. And how one now has considerable doubts that Peng’s most recent statements and public appearances were made without interference or intimidation by third parties.
All of this, says Simon then, allows only one reaction: “The immediate suspension of all WTA tournaments in China, including Hong Kong.” The question of where is Peng Shuai, who initially dominated the public debate, has now been answered. But the question of what happened to her is deliberately excluded from China. In a country like that, you can’t let your players play with a clear conscience.
It’s a step that only seems logical. After all, Simon had been threatening for weeks to withdraw China’s eleven tournaments, including the season finals of the best single and double players. Nonetheless, the WTA’s approach is remarkable. Because it is also a slap in the face of all those who are confronted with similar topics – and who regularly poke around.
The WTA stands up to China
The world football association FIFA, for example, and most recently Bayern Munich, have repeatedly been criticized for their dealings with Qatar and the human rights violations there. The soccer World Cup will still take place in the desert state in winter 2022. Just like the Winter Games of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Beijing in February. Too much is at stake. The largest sales market in Asia is too important. The American professional basketball league, the NBA, also finally kissed when a conflict with China over how to deal with the protests in Hong Kong sparked two years ago.
With the WTA, a sports organization is now putting ethics above profit. And shows that there is another way. While the IOC announced on Thursday that it would continue to stick to its strategy of “silent diplomacy” and that it had already assured Peng Shuai of support in a second video link, the WTA China stands up. Unlike the IOC, you not only see the individual case of Peng Shuai, but also recognize the problem in the system.
The WTA once played a pioneering role in the professionalization of women’s sports. The organization may now be doing pioneering work again. Wherever allegations of sexual abuse are swept under the carpet, a line has been crossed that is incompatible with one’s own values, says Simon. It’s a thought that other sports organizations should allow too.
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