UPDATE: IOC Says Peng Shuai Has Told Olympic Officials She is Safe
UPDATE: 11/21/2021 12:27pmET: IOC says Peng Shuai has told Olympic officials she is safe
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The IOC says Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai has taken part in a 30-minute video call from Beijing with Olympic officials and told them she was safe and well.
It appears to be Peng's first direct contact with sports officials outside China since she disappeared from public view on Nov. 2.
She made a sexual assault allegation against a former member of the Communist Party's ruling committee.
The IOC says the call was with its president Thomas Bach, athletes commission chair Emma Terho and IOC member Li Lingwei, who's a former tennis official.
Original Story:
By JOE McDONALD, The Associated Press
BEIJING (AP) — Missing tennis star Peng Shuai has reappeared in public at a youth tournament in Beijing, according to photos released by the organizer, as the ruling Communist Party tried to quell fears about her while suppressing information after she accused a senior leader of sexual assault.
The posting by China Open management on the Weibo social media service made no mention of Peng's disappearance or accusation she was sexually assaulted by a former Chinese leader.
Peng was shown standing beside a court, waving and signing tennis balls for children.
Dave Haggerty, the International Tennis Federation president, says the videos appear to be a positive step but the organization will continue to seek direct engagement and confirmation from Peng Shuai herself that she is safe and well.