The reporter who performed the primary face-to-face interview with Chinese language tennis star Peng Shuai by western media has stated he’s not sure if she is free to say and do what she desires.
Peng’s allegations of compelled intercourse with a former top-ranked Communist Social gathering official, and subsequent disappearance from view, triggered a world outpouring of worry for her security.
Marc Ventouillac is one among two journalists for French sports activities every day L’Equipe who spoke to Peng this week in a restrictive interview organized with Chinese language Olympic officers.
He stated: “This interview do not give proof that there isn’t any downside with Peng Shuai.
“It is part of communication, propaganda, from the Chinese language Olympic Committee.
With an interview to a giant European newspaper, they will present: ‘OK, there isn’t any downside with Peng Shuai. See? Journalists (got here), they will ask all of the questions they wished.'”
The interview, in addition to a dinner Peng had with Worldwide Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, and appearances she made at Olympic venues have shone a deliberate and managed highlight on the three-time Olympian and former top-ranked doubles participant.
Ostensibly, the purpose is to place to relaxation the query that fellow gamers and followers world wide have been posting on-line: The place is Peng Shuai?
“It is vital, I believe, for the Chinese language Olympic Committee, for the Communist Social gathering and for many individuals in China to attempt to present: ‘No, there isn’t any Peng Shuai affair,'” Ventouillac stated.
The ladies’s skilled tennis tour stated the interview “doesn’t alleviate any of our issues” concerning the allegations she made in November.
“Peng took a daring step in publicly coming forth with the accusation that she was sexually assaulted by a senior Chinese language authorities chief,” Steve Simon, the WTA’s chief govt, stated in a press release.
“As we might do with any of our gamers globally, now we have referred to as for a proper investigation into the allegations by the suitable authorities and a possibility for the WTA to satisfy with Peng — privately — to debate her scenario.”
Ventouillac stated Peng “appears to be wholesome.”
To safe the interview, organised by China’s Olympic Committee with assist from the IOC, L’Equipe agreed to ship questions prematurely and publish her responses verbatim, in question-and-answer type.
Initially allotted a half-hour, Ventouillac stated they ended up getting almost double that and requested all of the questions they wished, past the “8 or 10” they pre-submitted.
“There was no censorship within the questions,” he stated.
“She answered our questions with out hesitating — with, I think about, solutions that she knew. She knew what she was going to say,” Ventouillac stated.
“However you possibly can’t know whether or not it was formatted or one thing. She stated what we anticipated her to say.”
“We began by asking questions on tennis as a result of that is her area, her subject. It isn’t controversial. It helped her loosen up, unwind,” he stated.
“We then received to the questions concerning the ‘Peng Shuai affair’ itself and there, my sense from her seems to be — and my colleague Sophie had about the identical impression — was that she was being extra attentive, turning into extra nervous.
A raised eyebrow. A squint. So she was being cautious with the questions and likewise, I believe, cautious along with her responses.”