Missing tennis player
Ban on Peng Shuai shirts causes a stir at the Australian Open
Peng Shuai disappeared for several weeks in mid-November after accusing a former Chinese government official of raping her.
© Andy Brownbill/AP
First Novak Djokovic, now Peng Shuai – the Australian Open does not get out of the headlines. This time it’s about the missing Chinese athlete and banned T-shirts in the stadium.
The organizers of the Australian Open are – once again – in need of explanation. After Novak Djokovic’s visa was canceled, the case of the missing Chinese Peng Shuai Down Under has now also reached. Or more precisely: T-shirts that want to draw attention to the case. Because a video on the Internet shows fans wearing T-shirts with the inscription “Where’s Peng Shuai?” wanted to go to the Melbourne Park tennis arena but were intercepted by security forces. (You can see a video of the incident below) “Our entry conditions do not allow clothing, banners or signs that are commercial or political,” the “BBC” and “Spiegel” quote a spokesman for Tennis Australia. A police officer also points out in the video that political messages are prohibited at the Australian Open. “The safety of Peng Shuai is our main concern,” said the Australian Open spokesman.
The disappearance of Chinese woman Peng Shuai caused a worldwide sensation in November. After she accused ex-Vice Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli of rape on the Chinese short message service Weibo, the tennis player disappeared from public view for weeks. Even photos that showed them during the video call with IOC President Thomas Bach were hardly reassuring.
Criticism of the ban on Peng Shuai shirts
After the Djokovic case, the ban on T-shirts puts the focus back on the athlete, but also causes criticism of the organizers of the Australian Open. “It’s just pathetic. The WTA is pretty much alone in this case,” exclaimed former world-class tennis player Martina Navratilova on Twitter. The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the association of professional tennis players, reacted to the disappearance of Peng Shuai in December and canceled all tournaments in China from the calendar until a transparent clarification.
“I find the behavior of the Australian Open very cowardly. This is not a political statement, this is a statement for human rights,” said Navratilova on the American television network “Tennis Channel”. On the other hand, the WTA and many players who are also committed to clarification acted strongly after the disappearance of the 36-year-old, praised Navratilova. The three-time Grand Slam winner Lindsay Davenport made a similar statement to the broadcaster. “There were a lot of strong statements at the beginning of the Peng Shuai case, but now the cause has been pushed into the background. But the people in tennis want to see Peng Shuai and know if she’s okay.”
Navratilova accuses the association of surrendering to China
18-time Grand Slam winner Navratilova accused the Australian Tennis Association of “surrendering” to China and putting sponsorship money before human rights. In fact, one of the biggest sponsors of the tournament is from China, and the sponsor’s logo can be seen on almost every court.
Meanwhile, activists plan the next action to raise awareness of the search for Peng Shuai. Through a campaign on the “Gofundme” donation platform, they collected over 14,000 Australian dollars (around 9,000 euros) by Monday afternoon to have more T-shirts printed. “This has nothing to do with the upcoming elections or the organizers of the Australian Open. It’s all about drawing attention to a person who needs our help,” explains organizer and human rights activist Drew Pavlou, who himself is this year for running for the Senate.