Public appearance, then video interview with the IOC President: the Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai multiplied the signs about his state of health on Sunday, without these demonstrations providing tangible information on his personal situation, however, as international pressure intensifies to come to its aid.
IOC President Thomas Bach spoke with the player during a videoconference of “thirty minutes” on Sunday, the Olympic body announced in a statement. The Olympic Committee clarified that she “had explained that she was safe and sound at her home in Beijing but that she would like her privacy to be respected”, during a call also bringing together the president of the Athletes’ Commission Emma Terho, and Chinese Li Lingwei, member of the Olympic Committee.
Today, IOC President Thomas Bach, the Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, Emma Terho @ ELaaksonen3, and IOC Member in China Li Lingwei held a video call with three-time Olympian Peng Shuai from China. CC/ @ Athlete365 https://t.co/8at0ZMrozS
– IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) November 21, 2021
The doubts are not totally removed
The Olympic body also indicates that the 35-year-old player, former world No. 1 in doubles and star in her country, wishes “to spend time with her friends and family for the moment”. This is the first direct exchange between the player and officials outside of China since the affair broke out in early November, after a message posted on the Weibo social network on November 2.
However, if China seems to want to give pledges of security concerning the situation of Peng Shuai, it is for the moment impossible to affirm that this one is indeed free of its movements. On Sunday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, asked the Chinese authorities that the player speak freely. The next few hours will tell us if this exchange with the IOC will be enough to reassure everyone.