Peng Shuai, who has been an Olympian three times, had a video call session with Thomas Bach, who was the President of the International Olympic Committee. This was announced on Sunday by the Olympic governing body, due to all concerns all the world, about Peng’s wellbeing and whereabouts.
A Chinese sports official named Li Lingwei, and the Chair of the Athletes Commission named Emma Terho accompanied Peng Shuai and Thomas Bach on the video call. The IOC did not provide anyone with access to the video.
All this happened after Peng Shuai, who is China’s one of the most famous sports stars, publicly accused Zhang Gaoli, who is the former Vice Premier. She accused him of coercing her into sex at his home, as per the screenshots that were posted on social media on November 2, and later her social media got deleted.
Since the accusation, she has not been seen in public, prompting several fellow tennis players to voice their concerns on social media with the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai.
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The Women’s Tennis Association and the United Nations have both demanded an investigation into her sexual assault allegations.
Peng thanked the committee for its worry for her safety and insisted that she is “safe and well, residing at her house 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,” according to the IOC statement.
Peng’s 30-minute phone chat appears to be his first known direct interaction with officials outside of China since making the claims.
“I was relieved to see that Peng Shuai was doing fine, which was our main concern,” said Terho. “She appeared to be relaxed. I offered her our support and to stay in touch at any time of her convenience, which she obviously appreciated.”
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