BEIJINGhouseoffuncoins, Aughouseoffuncoins. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) on Saturday expressed firm support towards authorities' efforts to crack down on illegal behavior of "fan circles" in sports.
The CTTA issued a statement after China's authorities ramped up their efforts to address the behavior of some online users since the opening of the 2024 Olympic Games.
Some netizens posted defamatory comments after the table tennis women's singles final on August 3. A 29-year-old woman, identified by her surname He, was arrested by Beijing police after she made derogatory remarks concerning athletes and coaches on August 4.
In an announcement released on August 15, China's Ministry of Public Security publicized four such cases, including that of He, while affirming its continued efforts to crack down on unlawful behaviors online. The authority also reminded online users that the internet is not a lawless zone and urged them to refrain from spreading groundless information and defaming others, in order to uphold a clean internet space.
In Saturday's statement, the CTTA said such behavior had severely impacted teams' training and competitions, bringing about negative influence towards the work, lives and families of athletes, coaches and managerial staff, while also causing grave social harm.
In terms of any abuse, defamation, slander or other forms of malicious attacks against the team and its members online and in other public spaces, the association vowed to gather evidence in accordance with the law and to take legal action against the organizations and individuals involved.
China's table tennis team expressed sincere gratitude for the support it has received from all sectors of society, and called for collective efforts to create a clean online environment.
"The CTTA will continue to commit itself to the healthy development of the Chinese table tennis cause, further promote the new image of Chinese sportsmanship in the new era, contribute to the nation's endeavors to become a sporting powerhouse, and win more glory for the motherland and people," read the statement.
At the Paris Olympic Games which concluded on August 11, China achieved a clean sweep of five gold medals across the table tennis events.■