Beijing: Chinese table tennis authorities have called in police and announced plans for a venue blacklist after men's head coach Wang Hao was swarmed and verbally abused by around 100 fans at the WTT China Smash.
The off-court turmoil unfolded on Tuesday at Beijing's Shougang Park. As Wang walked towards the parking area, the crowd surrounded him, shouted profanities and chanted "put Lin Shidong in top singles" and "Wang Hao step down". Wang recorded video evidence on his phone before reporting the incident to on-site police.
Rooted in the Asian Games final
The anger traces to the recent Asian Games men's team final, where Wang named Wang Chuqin as "top singles" — the No. 1 picked to face the opponent's strongest player — with Lin Shidong as third singles. China lost the gold to Japan, and after Lin later beat Wang Chuqin 4-0 in the men's singles final, fans argued Lin should have led the team all along.
Wang's wife, Yan Boya, posted a fan-shot video of the confrontation on Weibo the same day, writing: "I don't understand how competitive sports turned out like this..."
Association draws a line
On Wednesday, the Chinese Table Tennis Association pledged to combat extreme fan misconduct, confirming it had helped personnel report cases to public security organs and was pushing a stadium blacklist system. It said abusive behaviour, rumour-mongering and personal attacks had "spread from the venue to the internet, and from the internet back to the scene".
Athletes had been disturbed during matches, coaches faced courtside verbal abuse, and personnel received a barrage of abusive messages and calls, disrupting training and daily life. False claims about team management and tactics would be handled in accordance with the law, it added.
Under China's Public Security Administration Punishment Law, disrupting order at major public events or harassing staff carries penalties from warnings and fines of up to 1,000 yuan (about US$150) to 10 days of detention.
A difficult week on court too
The hostility coincided with world No. 1 Sun Yingsha's shock 1-3 defeat to Thailand's 101st-ranked Orawan Paranang — her career-worst WTT Smash finish. Sun later revealed she had run a high fever the night before, arriving in Beijing straight from a gruelling three-event Asian Games campaign. She said her priority would be physical recovery before the WTT Champions event in France, urging the public "not to over-speculate or worry".
Sources:
- SCMP: Police called in, venue blacklist planned after fans abuse coach Wang Hao at WTT China Smash
The off-court turmoil unfolded on Tuesday at Beijing's Shougang Park. As Wang walked towards the parking area, the crowd surrounded him, shouted profanities and chanted "put Lin Shidong in top singles" and "Wang Hao step down". Wang recorded video evidence on his phone before reporting the incident to on-site police.
Rooted in the Asian Games final
The anger traces to the recent Asian Games men's team final, where Wang named Wang Chuqin as "top singles" — the No. 1 picked to face the opponent's strongest player — with Lin Shidong as third singles. China lost the gold to Japan, and after Lin later beat Wang Chuqin 4-0 in the men's singles final, fans argued Lin should have led the team all along.
Wang's wife, Yan Boya, posted a fan-shot video of the confrontation on Weibo the same day, writing: "I don't understand how competitive sports turned out like this..."
Association draws a line
On Wednesday, the Chinese Table Tennis Association pledged to combat extreme fan misconduct, confirming it had helped personnel report cases to public security organs and was pushing a stadium blacklist system. It said abusive behaviour, rumour-mongering and personal attacks had "spread from the venue to the internet, and from the internet back to the scene".
Athletes had been disturbed during matches, coaches faced courtside verbal abuse, and personnel received a barrage of abusive messages and calls, disrupting training and daily life. False claims about team management and tactics would be handled in accordance with the law, it added.
Under China's Public Security Administration Punishment Law, disrupting order at major public events or harassing staff carries penalties from warnings and fines of up to 1,000 yuan (about US$150) to 10 days of detention.
A difficult week on court too
The hostility coincided with world No. 1 Sun Yingsha's shock 1-3 defeat to Thailand's 101st-ranked Orawan Paranang — her career-worst WTT Smash finish. Sun later revealed she had run a high fever the night before, arriving in Beijing straight from a gruelling three-event Asian Games campaign. She said her priority would be physical recovery before the WTT Champions event in France, urging the public "not to over-speculate or worry".
Sources:
- SCMP: Police called in, venue blacklist planned after fans abuse coach Wang Hao at WTT China Smash
