The Australian Open has done a U-turn on its decision to ban supporters from donning T-shirts in support of Chinese star Peng Shuai.
Melbourne Park supporters were last week requested to remove shirts containing references to Shuai. The Chinese player’s safety and well-being has been in question ever since she accused a top Chinese government official of sexual assault.
Officials also confiscated a banner at the time of the request.
The decision to allow the T-shirts was made following an international backlash in response to the organisers’ claims that the message propagated constituted a political one. While the decision regarding the T-shirts has been reversed, banners remain off-limits.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova earlier this week accused Tennis Australia of bending the knee to China. She was joined by Australian defense minister Peter Dutton shortly after, who said the player’s safety is a human rights issue instead of a political one.
Also weighing in on the issue had been foreign minister Marise Payne. According to Payne, freedom of speech should always be defended. She said she had great respect for Shuai for speaking out about her experience.
Tennis Australia chief Crag Tiley responded to the backlash on Tuesday by saying the wearing of the T-shirts would be allowed, but only if no disruptions were created.
Shuai has appeared only on rare occasions in public and on social media since her controversial post went live on Weibo in November. She has since retracted her statement, which has led many to believe that she had been coerced to do so.
| # | Site | Bonus | Bet | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Ladbrokes |  | 5/5 | 100% Match up to $250 | Bet now Review |
| 2 |  | Palmerbet | | 4.9/5 | 100% Match Bonus | Bet now |
| 3 |  | Picklebet | | 4.8/5 | Login to see promotions | Bet now |
More About Fred Johnson
Fred Johnson is an avid sports betting enthusiast and a qualified journalist. He discovered online betting while at college, and it piqued his interest. Fred has found a way to combine his love of sports and betting with his journalism career, and he always has his finger on the pulse of what’s happening in every arena. He’s not only keen on sports of all kinds, he is set on providing readers with an unbalanced, unbiased view of what’s going on in the world. He’s a valuable member of the australianbettingsites.org team, and brings a wealth of expertise to the table.
View Posts - Visit WebsiteYou May Also Like:
Djokovic Likely To Play In French Open 2022
Potentially good news for Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic is that he might be able to compete in this year’s French Open. French authorities recently announced they will soon be ….
Djokovic’s Dubai Loss Means No More No. 1
After Novak Djokovic’s run of two years in a row as the No. 1 tennis player in the world, the Serb’s unrivaled success came to a rapid end on Thursday ….
Alex De Minaur Denies Report Of False Jabs
Tennis world No. 32 Alex de Minaur has strongly denied allegations of an investigation into the purchasing of a falsified vaccination certificate. The Aussie men’s No. 1 on Thursday took ….
Prosecutors Declare Djokovic Tests Valid
Serbian prosecuting authorities have now rejected claims pertaining to Novak Djokovic having submitted falsified positive PCR tests to Australian authorities. According to prosecutors, they had been tipped off about the ….
Decision Expected Soon Re Djokovic’s Fate
Judging by the latest comments by Serbian president of parliament Ivica Dacic, the drama revolving around tennis world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and his visa issues may be far from ….