The organizers of Grand Slam Wimbledon stated that they are working with the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for the safety of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who appeared to be missing after accusing a former PRC official of sexual assaults.
"We are united with the rest of tennis in the need to understand that Peng Shuai is safe. We have been working in support of the WTA's efforts to establish her safety through our relationships behind the scenes," said the organizers in a statement.
"Along with the global tennis community, we would like Peng Shuai to know that her wellbeing is of the utmost importance to us, and we will continue to work to gain clarity on her safety," they stated further.
Earlier, the US administration also expressed concerns over the disappearance of the Chinese tennis star and said that China should provide verifiable proof of her whereabouts and that she is safe.
Peng has been incommunicado since she accused a former ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader of pressuring her into a sexual relationship, Radio Free Asia reported. She expressed these claims in a social media post on November 2, drawing concerns from Chinese feminist campaigners and international sports associations.
Following her claims, an email allegedly from Peng was broadcasted by Beijing's mouthpiece CGTN on November 17, saying Peng's allegations were "not true," and that she isn't "missing", Radio Free Asia reported.
Concerns among the global tennis community have grown as Peng has not been seen since the post.
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has called for a "full, fair, and transparent investigation" into allegations of sexual assault made by player Peng Shuai against a former Chinese vice premier.
( With inputs from ANI )
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