Navratilova on handling Peng protests: "It's just pathetic"

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Peng Shuai

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Andy Brownbill/AP

Tennis icon Martina Navratilova has criticized the organizers of the Australian Open for dealing with protests in the Peng Shuai case.

The 65-year-old said it was "pathetic" that security forces prevented spectators from wearing "Where's Peng Shuai?" t-shirts at Melbourne Park.

The criticism was sparked by an Internet video showing security forces at Melbourne Park preventing spectators from wearing t-shirts that read 'Where's Peng Shuai?' in support of the Chinese tennis player. The footage also shows Australian Open staff removing a banner. "Our conditions of entry do not allow clothing, banners or signs that are commercial or political," a spokesman for Tennis Australia said of the incident, assuring: "Peng Shuai's safety is our primary concern."

“It's just pathetic. The WTA is pretty much alone with that!” tweeted the 18-time Grand Slam winner. The WTA Women's Tennis Association had repeatedly positioned itself clearly and called for transparent clarification in the Peng Shuai case.

The former double world number one reported in November in a short article in the Chinese short message service Weibo about a relationship with China's ex-Vice Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli. The post also said that Zhang had at least once pressured Peng to force her to have sex (read more about Peng's allegations here).

Her subsequent absence from the public for several weeks led to protests and demands from numerous prominent colleagues and institutions for independently verifiable safety guarantees for the athlete.

"I find that very, very cowardly"

Navratilova told the US broadcaster Tennis Channel that the Australian tennis association would "capitulate" to China and put sponsorship money on human rights issues.

"I think that's very, very cowardly," she said, and then: "I think you're wrong about that.

This is not a political statement, but a statement on human rights.«

Activists meanwhile announced that they would like to print 1000 T-shirts and bring as many as possible into the arenas of the Australian Open.

mon/sid/Reuters