China’s obsessive sports fans told to stop harassing athletes as officials issue warning to ‘refrain from chaos’
- Chinese Olympic Committee and General Administration of Sport of China release a statement after overly eager fans ‘impulsively make irrational actions’
- Several athletes have spoken out about being followed and filmed in public spaces, asking for more privacy
The Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) has issued a warning to the public about harassing athletes after repeated incidents where they were filmed and followed by fans.
The General Administration of Sport of China jointly released a statement with the COC, asking fans to show respect and to avoid unsavoury behaviour towards the athletes.
“It seems that these ‘low-level fans’ are driven by their love for idols and impulsively make irrational actions that endanger the normal order of events, public order and good customs, sportsmanship and social morality,” the statement read.
“Vigorously promote the spirit of Chinese sports, allowing athletes to feel at ease and concentrate on their work, so as to better exert the power of sports role models.”
The statement references several instances where fans overstepped their boundaries. Last week, Chiharu Shida, a women’s badminton doubles player from Japan, spoke out about fans following her back to her hotel during the China Badminton Masters in Shenzhen.
“Please keep an appropriate distance to ensure the respect of both parties,” Shida wrote on social media. “Excessive physical contact may make someone feel uncomfortable or uneasy.”
