"He's safe and well": the Chinese tennis player who had been missing for weeks reappears

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Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, whose whereabouts had been a mystery for weeks, held

from Beijing with members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to whom she informed that she was safe and well, the organization reported this Sunday.

The call came amid growing global alarm over the well-being of Peng, who had not been seen since early November after reporting that she had been

.

Peng Shuai appeared this Sunday in a youth tennis final.

Now the question is if it is really free Official video

His participation in a youth tennis event this Sunday in the Chinese capital and the messages posted on social networks by various users assuring that he was fine did not convince the public outside of China.

The conversation with IOC President Thomas Bach, Athletes Commission President Emma Terho and Li Lingwei, former Vice President of the China Tennis Association and a member of the Olympic organization is

Peng's

with sports officials. outside of China since he publicly disappeared on November 2.

[USA.

demands proof of well-being of Chinese tennis player: pressure increases after mysterious disappearance]

Peng "thanked the IOC for its concern for his well-being," the agency said in a statement.

“He explained that he

, but that he would like his privacy to be respected at this time.

That is why he prefers to spend his time with his friends and family at this time, ”the note added.

Peng, who played with China in three Olympic Games between 2008 and 2016 and was number 1 in the world in doubles, accused Zhang Gaoli, a former member of the Communist Party and with whom he had

,

through his social networks.

sexually assaulted.

The message was deleted in a matter of minutes, but the player was

and did not respond to requests from around the world to prove that she was okay.

"I was relieved to see that Peng Shuai is doing well, which was our main concern," Terho said in the IOC statement.

Chinese player Peng Shuai during an Australian Open match on January 21, 2021. Andy Brownbill / AP

"She

. I offered her our support and to keep in touch at any time that was convenient for her, which she obviously appreciated."

[The mystery about the whereabouts of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai worsens after reporting that a high official sexually assaulted her]

The IOC, which has been criticized for being relatively silent as concerns grew over Peng this past week, has opted for

with the host country of the 2022 Winter Olympics, which will open on February 4 in Beijing.

During the call, Bach invited Peng to have dinner when he arrives in the Chinese capital in January, "which she gladly accepted," the organization said.

Terho and Li were also invited.