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WTA: Peng Shuai call does not alleviate concerns
Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai's video call with the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not address or alleviate the Women's Tennis Association's (WTA) concern about her well-being, the WTA said on Monday.
The whereabouts of Peng, a former doubles world No. 1, became a matter of international concern nearly three weeks ago, after she alleged that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli had sexually assaulted her.
She appeared at a dinner with friends on Saturday and a children's tennis tournament in Beijing on Sunday, photographs and videos published by Chinese state media journalists and by the tournament's organisers show. But they have done little to quell 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 email.
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."
The IOC said in a statement that Peng held a 30-minute call with its president Thomas Bach on Sunday during which she said she was safe and well at home in Beijing, and wanted to have her privacy respected for now.
The concern over Peng comes as global rights groups and others have called for a boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February over China's human rights record. The WTA has also threatened to pull tournaments out of China over the matter.
On Nov. 2, Peng posted on Chinese social media that Zhang had coerced her into sex and they later had an on-off consensual relationship. The post was quickly deleted and the topic has been blocked from discussion on China's heavily censored internet.
Neither Zhang nor the Chinese government have commented on Peng's allegations. China's State Council Information office and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent on Monday.
France's foreign minister called on Sunday for Chinese authorities to let Peng speak publicly.
"I'm expecting only one thing: that she speaks," Jean-Yves Le Drian told LCI television, adding that there could be unspecified diplomatic consequences if China did not clear up the situation. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the IOC's statement.
The United States and Britain have also called for China to provide proof of Peng's whereabouts.
Current and former tennis players, including Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams and Billie Jean King, joined the calls seeking to confirm she was safe, using the social media hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai?
Men's singles world No.1 Novak Djokovic said it would be strange to hold tournaments in China unless the "horrific" situation was resolved.
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Warriors' Green: Found 'love for the game' again
SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green says he has found "love and joy for the game" again after two up-and-down seasons.
Green, 31, made the proclamation after leading the Warriors -- now a league-best 15-2 -- to another dominating win against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.
"I've just kind of found that love again," Green said following the 119-104 victory. "Kind of go through a lot of s--- and the love kind of wanes a little bit. But I've just found that love and joy for the game and I'm just enjoying playing basketball and controlling what I can control. A point of emphasis for myself this year was simply to control what I could control. That means on the court, that means with the referees, that means off the floor -- that's just a step in my life and I think it shows on the basketball court."
Green acknowledged that his children have played a major role in his desire to prove that he's one of the best basketball players in the NBA again. After helping the Warriors reach five straight NBA Finals between 2015-19, some around the league wondered if Green could still play at the highest level after two lackluster seasons in which he battled various injuries and inconsistencies.
For his part, Green said the motivation he has gotten from his family has helped propel his impressive start to the season -- he's averaging 8.1 points, 7.6 assists and 7.5 rebounds while playing high-level defense.
"My son is getting older, my oldest daughter -- she's 7 now -- they kind of get on my ass if we lose," Green said. "So that's motivation. And I think for me also, I've been s--- the last couple years, so my kids don't really understand how good I am. And I want them to see how good I am so they'll have an understanding. And so that is motivation for me. When I was playing at the top of my level, which I'm getting back to that now, they were like 3 and 1, so that is motivating for me to play well in front of them so they have an understanding of what I do.
"And most importantly I want to win, I want to be a Defensive Player of the Year again, and I want to be an All-Star again. And that is motivating me because a lot of people had counted me out. Same mistake people made before when I first came into the league -- but a lot of people doubted me, and doubted me again. And that's fuel to the fire."
Green's teammates and coaches have noticed the extra fire that Green has started the season with -- and they know it's a huge reason why they have had so much success over the first month.
"I think Draymond Green is the best defender in the world," coach Steve Kerr said. "I think he's had just an unbelievable start to the season. He's so motivated. He's so engaged every single night."
Green agreed with Kerr's assessment, while veteran forward Otto Porter Jr. called Green "the anchor of our defense." Kerr has repeatedly noted how much he felt Green's run with Team USA while winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics has helped his push to start the season.
"I think he knows as well as everybody else that we go as far as he goes, as far as Steph goes and the rest of our vets," Warriors guard Jordan Poole said. "The last two years have been a little bit rough and I think he really gets the sense like, 'All right, we're back.' And we got a chance to really do this. And especially the guys with experience, they know what it takes and I think they're doing a really good job from day one, just trying to put us in the best possible situation to be ready for that."
Green said he is feeling "incredible" to start the season, a premise backed up by the way he is moving up and down the floor with a lot of energy.
"I take better care of my body today than I ever have," Green said. "I don't drink really anymore like I used to. I used to go after it a little bit. I'm 31 years old now so I try to do all the necessary things to make sure my body is in shape and ready to go. Lifting more than I ever have."
Green underscored his point by detailing how he's feeling on the road and why he's confident he can continue to sustain the same level of play throughout the campaign.
"When we play on the road and we got on the plane and we got off the plane, I can run down the stairs," Green said. "And before I used to creep down them stairs like knees hurting, feet hurting. I feel incredible."
As for the Warriors torrid start, Green continues to be cautious as the hype around his team builds -- but he's seeing the building blocks coming into place and knows that the addition of Klay Thompson (ACL and Achilles rehab) and James Wiseman (meniscus rehab) will only make them even deeper.
"I wouldn't necessarily say surprised that it's going well, but a little surprised that it's going as well, as fast as it is," Green said. "Everyone talks about our schedule, there's some truth to that. I think we haven't had the toughest schedule in the world, but you can only play who they put out there in front of you, and I think regardless of who we're playing we're handling our business the way it should be handled, so I feel good about it, our team feels good about it. We have a lot of confident guys; we got to continue to get better, though. We got a long ways to go."
Historical China-USA Pairs Enter World Table Tennis Championships on 50th Anniversary of Ping Pong Diplomacy
History will be made in Houston, Texas, as China and the USA will join forces at the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals with two pairs formed of both American and Chinese players entering the Mixed Doubles competition on the year marking the 50th anniversary of Ping Pong Diplomacy.
This was announced at the Peace Through Sport Dinner Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Ping Pong Diplomacy in front of guests including Christopher Nixon Cox and Neil Bush, respectively grandson of President Richard Nixon and son of President George Bush, representatives from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States, and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
Lin Gaoyuan (CHN, #7) will pair with Lily Zhang (USA, #35) while Kanak Jha (USA, #31) will play with Wang Manyu(CHN, #4). The Mixed Doubles draw will take place tonight at 20:30 (CST).
Lin Gaoyuan commented, “I’m really happy to be partnering with Lily Zhang for the Mixed Doubles event. She’s the top table tennis player in the US, I’m not China’s top player yet, but our goal is to come out on top for this event. The biggest advantage about pairing with her is that she speaks Mandarin. I hope we can get into the groove soon, develop good chemistry and work hard towards a great performance. And I hope fans from both China and the US will cheer on the China-US Mixed Doubles pairs.
Lili Zhang commented, “It’s going to be amazing; it is so cool to be able the 50th anniversary of Ping Pong Diplomacy here in the US at the World championships. I think it will be a historical moment, and I am really glad that our two countries are able to work together through sport. I am very excited to play with Lin Gaoyuan, it’s so cool to pair with a Chinese national team player. They’re the best in the world, so I will do my best and hopefully we can work well together and get a good result.”
The Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) and the US Table Tennis Association together submitted the request to allow China-USA pairs to compete to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). The ITTF Executive Committee approved the request today.
Liu Guoliang, World Table Tennis Council Chair and President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA), commented: “A few days ago, when the Chinese team arrived in Houston, I was deeply moved by the efforts ITTF, USA Table Tennis and Houston Sports Authority put into organizing a sports event during a pandemic. We have been thinking about how we can build on the China-US friendship kickstarted by our predecessors 50 years ago, and further enhance this relationship through sports events, sports activities and community events. On this basis, the CTTA alongside USA Table Tennis proposed to ITTF to have Chinese and American players paired up for Mixed Doubles – so that these athletes, who are friends with each other, can work together in the competition; so that fans from both countries can cheer them on, opening a new chapter of Ping Pong Diplomacy in this new era.
Virginia Sung, Chief Executive Officer of USA Table Tennis (USATT), commented: “We are really excited that the opportunity has materialized for China and the U.S. to play a Mixed Doubles event in Houston. 50 years ago, a small exchange between players from the Chinese Table Tennis Association and USA Table Tennis has proven to be a moment of lasting significance. As it did so many years ago, sport is once again showing us the power of unity, and ping pong is once again changing the course of history. USATT is pleased to thank the ITTF, CTTA, and Houston Sports Authority for working together to continue the efforts of Ping Pong Diplomacy during such a momentous occasion.”
Khalil Al-Mohannadi, Deputy President of the ITTF in charge of World Championships, commented, “I fully support this initiative, and I am proud the ITTF was able to provide the platform for these two unified China-USA pairs. This is a landmark moment in our sport history. It is fitting that it happened in Houston, set to become the first-ever American city to host of the World Championships, whilst our sport has a huge prominence in China. I wish everyone a wonderful time in Houston.”
This is a new chapter in the Ping Pong Diplomacy journey, exactly 50 years after table tennis started building bridge between the two countries. At the 1971 World Championships staged in the Japanese city of Nagoya, Glenn Cowan, a young member of the United States team mistakenly boarded the bus carrying the Chinese team. Zhuang Zedong, the team’s greatest player, greeted him through an interpreter. Photographers caught the incident on film. The political climate in the 1960s was such the sight of Chinese and American athletes together was headline news. The unexpected goodwill between the U.S. and Chinese teams soon became the talk of the tournament
Following the sensational news, Mao Zedong, President of the People’s Republic of China, decided to invite the United States table tennis team in China. Members of the United States table tennis team, alongside accompanying members of the media, arrived in China in April 1971 to visit the country and play friendly matches. They were the first American delegation to visit the Chinese capital city of Beijing since 1949. Touted as one of the greatest diplomatic breakthroughs of that era, table tennis played a pivotal role in re-establishing ties between China and the United States, in what is now famously known as Ping Pong Diplomacy.
Steve Dainton, ITTF Group CEO, commented, “Once again, we are all witnessing the unique power of sport and how table tennis can create dialogues and foster mutual understanding. This will inspire us to deliver an extraordinary and historical Championships and to encourage the dreams, hopes and aspirations of not only the entire table tennis community but also the next generation worldwide.”
Led by the ITTF Foundation, the Ping Pong Diplomacy programme has continued gathering more momentum. Another significant milestone was the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea joining forces to compete as Unified Korea on several occasions. Ping Pong Diplomacy will be the theme of World Table Tennis Day on 6 April 2022. Hundreds of creative events will be staged around the world; all aiming to build diplomatic and friendly relations between nations and people and bring peace around the tables.
Follow all the actions of the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals on World Table Tennis website!
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Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo