Peng Shuai’s video does not change our call for fair investigation into her allegation of sexual assault: WTA

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) is still concerned about Peng Shuai’s well-being even after she was seen in public for the first time last week following her sexual abuse allegations against a former Chinese vice-premier.

Peng Shuai’s whereabouts became a matter of international concern after she alleged that Zhang Gaoli, a former member of the Communist Party’s ruling Standing Committee, had sexually assaulted her.

The sporting fraternity breathed a sigh of relief when pictures and videos of the 35-year-old attending a dinner with friends surfaced on social media.

Peng Shuai also attended a children’s tennis tournament in Beijing on Sunday, photographs and videos of which were published by Chinese state media journalists and by the tournament’s organisers show.

Peng also attended a 30-minute video call with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach on Sunday but these things have done little to quell the WTA’s concerns.

“It was good to see Peng Shuai in recent videos, but they don’t alleviate or address the WTA’s concern about her well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion,” a WTA spokeswoman said in an e-mail.

Asked about the call with the IOC, the spokeswoman said: “This video does not change our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern.”

Peng “thanked the IOC for its concern about her well-being,” the Switzerland-based Olympic body said in a statement.

“She explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time. That is why she prefers to spend her time with friends and family right now,” the IOC statement said. (With Reuters inputs)