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, the ITTF, World Table Tennis (WTT), and the local organizing committee released a statement expressing that 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.
The statement emphasized that such behavior is “completely unacceptable,” asserting that the safety and dignity of athletes are non-negotiable. The organizations have been in contact with the athlete’s team to offer assistance and have initiated a “comprehensive fact-finding and safeguarding investigation” into the incident.
The organizers acknowledged the necessity of stringent entry protocols due to the United Kingdom’s heightened security threat lev
els but insisted these measures must be implemented “professionally and appropriately.” They affirmed their intolerance for any conduct that jeopardizes athletes’ well-being.
The ITTF’s response followed a social media post by Taiwan coach Zheng Jiaqi, who reported that one of the team’s players had been sexually harassed and obstructed from entering the tournament venue before the team’s 3-1 victory over South Korea.
Coach Zheng stated that the team reported the incident and requested that tournament organizers provide a “clear response” and updates on the investigation’s progress.
The United Kingdom raised its terrorism threat level from “substantial” to “severe” on April 30, following the stabbing of two Jewish men in north London. 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 taking place at the Copper Box Arena and Wembley Arena in Greater London from Apr
il 28 through May 10.