Chinese basketball participant Yao Ming says he and Peng Shuai ‘chatted merrily’ final month

Chinese basketball legend Yao Ming mentioned on Monday that tennis star Peng Shuai, who grew to become the topic of concern after she accused a former senior politician of sexually assaulting her, was in good spirits after they appeared at an occasion final month.
“She seemed well. We chatted merrily,” Yao mentioned when requested in Beijing on Monday about his impressions of Peng at a cross-country snowboarding occasion they each attended final month in Shanghai.
The Women’s Tennis Association has suspended tournaments in China as a result of what it says are considerations over Peng’s security, which it says haven’t been alleviated by her public appearances. The problem has forged a shadow over the upcoming winter Olympics in Beijing.
Yao mentioned he and Peng had recognized one another for almost 20 years. However, he didn’t remark immediately on the controversy that flared up final 12 months after Peng, a former world No. 1 doubles participant, appeared to allege {that a} former vice premier, Zhang Gaoli, had sexually assaulted her up to now.
After that submit, she was absent from public view for almost three weeks. At the December occasion additionally attended by Yao, Peng instructed a media outlet she had by no means accused anybody of sexually assaulting her, and that her social media submit had been misunderstood. She has not spoken publicly since.

Zhang has not commented on the matter, and Beijing has censored dialogue of it on the web.
Speaking with media lower than three weeks earlier than the Olympics are as a result of open, Yao mentioned he expects China to win medals in pace skating and snowboarding, however requested Chinese followers to be affected person given the nation is comparatively new to winter sports activities.
Yao, China’s most globally well-known athlete, was the face of the 2008 Beijing Summer Games. He has retired from basketball and now acts as an ice and snow sports activities ambassador for China.