SPORT / MISCELLANY
China sports authority urges action to prevent unhealthy fan culture from harming minors
A screen shot of the statement released by the Chinese Table Tennis Association on its website
China’s General Administration of Sport (GAS) said in a WeChat post on Thursday that unhealthy fan culture has undermined the spirit of sportsmanship and drawn widespread public criticism, and called for the prevention of this distorted fan culture from negatively influencing minors.
In response to recent incidents involving some extreme fans repeatedly verbally abusing, spreading rumors about, and personally attacking national team coaches and players, the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) has reported the cases to the police and will work to establish a stadium ban list to strengthen the maintenance of order at competitions, according to a statement released by the CTTA on Wednesday night.
After China’s Lin Shidong defeated compatriot Wang Chuqin to win the men’s singles title at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan, national men’s team head coach Wang Hao was reportedly subjected to verbal abuse and provocation from extreme fans, news website thecover.cn reported.
During the WTT China Smash held in Beijing on Tuesday, Wang was reportedly confronted and provoked again by fans outside the venue. He recorded the incident and reported it to the police, Chengdu-based thecover.cn reported.
Lin, who claimed three golds at the Asian Games, also reportedly suffered verbal attacks from extreme fans.
Some athletes have been affected by such misconduct during competitions, while coaches have been subjected to obscene gestures and verbal abuse from individual extreme fans on the sidelines. Some coaches and athletes have also continued to receive abusive text messages, harassing phone calls and abusive messages on social media, seriously disrupting their normal training, competitions and daily lives, CTTA said in the statement.
Among those engaging in extreme behavior, such as pitting athletes against one another, attacking others and stoking hostility, are a number of minors. While disrupting competitions and verbally abusing athletes and coaches, they themselves are also being harmed in terms of their physical and mental well-being and values, becoming victims of a distorted fan culture, said GAS.
The association has assisted the relevant athletes and coaches in reporting the incidents to police and will seek to hold those responsible legally accountable, said the statement.
The CTTA has always attached great importance to the physical and mental well-being and long-term development of coaches and athletes, providing them with support and protection while firmly safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests. Going forward, the association will also promote the establishment of a stadium ban list and strengthen the maintenance of order at competitions, according to the statement.
Regarding false information concerning team management, competition arrangements, athlete selection and deployment, and other matters, the association will work with relevant authorities to handle such cases in accordance with the law and relevant regulations, CTTA said.
Every achievement of China’s national table tennis team has been built on the hard work and dedication of generations of athletes and coaches, as well as the care and support of fans over the years, CTTA added.
“We hope to work together with fans, media, event organizers and all sectors of society to foster a rational, civilized and inclusive table tennis culture – one where passion is expressed with warmth, opinions are voiced with restraint, and competitions are conducted in an orderly environment,” CTTA said in the post.
China won six of the seven gold medals on offer in the table tennis event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games except the men’s team event.
