London: The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has expressed concern and opened an investigation after a Taiwanese athlete was allegedly inappropriately touched by security personnel at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London.
According to Focus Taiwan, in a statement issued Saturday, the ITTF, World Table Tennis (WTT), and the local organizing committee stated they were “deeply troubled by the account of a female athlete who reported experiencing inappropriate physical contact during an entry security check” earlier that day. They emphasized that such incidents are “completely unacceptable” and reiterated their commitment to ensuring the safety and dignity of athletes.
The organizations have reached out to the athlete’s team to offer assistance and have commenced a “comprehensive fact-finding and safeguarding investigation” into the incident. While acknowledging the necessity of stringent entry protocols due to the United Kingdom’s heightened security threat levels, the organizers stressed that these protocols must be executed “professionally and appropriately” and vowed not to tolerate any conduct that jeopardizes athletes’ well-being.
The ITTF’s statement followed a social media post by Taiwan coach Zheng Jiaqi, who alleged that one of the team’s players had been sexually harassed and prevented from entering the tournament venue before their 3-1 victory over South Korea on Saturday. Zheng called on tournament organizers to “give a clear response” and provide updates on the investigation’s findings.
The U.K. recently elevated its terrorism threat level from “substantial” to “severe” on April 30, following the stabbing of two Jewish men in north London the previous day. A “severe” threat level is the second-highest in the U.K.’s five-tier system, indicating that a terror attack is considered “highly likely.”
The ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals are currently taking place at the Copper Box Arena and Wembley Arena in Greater London, running from April 28 through May 10.