International Olympic Committee heavyweight Dick Pound has called criticism of the organisation’s handling of the Peng Shuai saga “complete nonsense.”
The IOC has been under fire for allegedly ignoring serious human rights violations, ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the IOC of collaborating with Chinese authorities on Peng’s reappearance.
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The 35-year-old, who had been missing for nearly three weeks, took part in a video call with IOC boss Thomas Bach on the weekend.
“What the IOC established is that quiet and discreet diplomacy gets you better than clashing cymbals,” Pound said.
“That’s not the way you deal with any country, certainly not with China.
“To accuse the IOC of being complicit with a Chinese propaganda effort built around Peng is complete nonsense.”
Peng disappeared from public view after a social media post where she accused a 75-year-old senior Chinese official of sexual assault.
That post quickly vanished, as did Peng, leading many to question what had happened to her.
A host of leading figures in the tennis world weighed in, from world No.1 Novak Djokovic to former stars Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova.
The WTA Tour has threatened to boycott China unless there is a full and open investigation into the allegations.
The tour said Bach’s call with Peng didn’t alleviate their concerns for her safety.
According to Pound, in actually speaking to Peng, the IOC has done more for the tennis player than the WTA.
“First and foremost, a lot of people around the world were concerned that something might have happened to Peng,” Pound said.
“The IOC was the only organisation able to get through to her and alleviate some of those concerns.
“That was a great step forward, it’s step one – you’re not going to resolve the harassment allegations in the course of a 30-minute phone call without the other party being there but we know that she is well and healthy and seems in good spirits and is spending time with family and friends.”
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