Chinese language tennis participant Peng Shuai indicators large-sized tennis balls on the opening ceremony of Fila Children Junior Tennis Challenger Ultimate in Beijing, China November 21, 2021, on this display seize obtained from a social media video. TWITTER @QINGQINGPARIS through REUTERS
Contemporary unverified footage of Peng Shuai was posted on-line by a state-affiliated journalist on Sunday as worldwide concern persists for the Chinese language tennis star after she publicly accused a former vice-premier of forcing her to have intercourse.
Qingqing Chen, a reporter for the state-owned International Occasions, tweeted a video of Peng showing to talk with Chinese language basketball icon Yao Ming.
Chen stated the video was despatched to her by a “good friend” and that it was taken at an occasion to advertise cross-country snowboarding in Shanghai.
The seven-second clip exhibits the tennis participant smiling and listening as Yao speaks indistinctly.
Chen additionally posted a photograph of Peng posing with Yao and two different Chinese language sports activities figures — Olympic crusing champion Xu Lijia and retired desk tennis participant Wang Liqin.
The foursome had been standing subsequent to a banner for the “FIS Cross-Nation Snowboarding China Metropolis Tour” with Shanghai’s Yangpu bridge within the background.
The Shanghai cease of the cross-country ski tour occurred on Saturday, in response to the state-run CGTN information web site.
Twitter is blocked in China and solely folks with a VPN-type workaround can entry it.
Nevertheless, many Chinese language diplomats and official state media have accounts to defend China’s viewpoint.
Peng, a former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion, took to Chinese language social media in early November to allege that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli — who’s in his 70s — compelled her into intercourse throughout an on-off relationship spanning a number of years.
Her message was rapidly scrubbed from the Chinese language net, however not earlier than screenshots had been posted on Twitter, sparking a worldwide outcry.
The Girls’s Tennis Affiliation has referred to as for Peng’s allegations to be investigated absolutely and transparently.
The sporting physique introduced earlier this month that it was suspending all tournaments in China, together with Hong Kong, over issues about Peng’s security.
State media have beforehand revealed different pictures of Peng at a Beijing tennis match in addition to a screenshot of an electronic mail allegedly written by the participant saying “all the things is ok”.
Peng additionally participated in late November in a 30-minute video name with Thomas Bach, head of the Worldwide Olympic Committee.
However the WTA and fellow tennis gamers have continued to name for extra transparency from Beijing over Peng’s whereabouts.