China's cue sports authorities have handed down one-year bans to
two national team players for their part in a sexual harassment
scandal that broke during last December's Asian Games in Doha,
local media said on Saturday.
Last month, Chinese sport officials announced a probe into its
national cue sports team after 19-year-old Zhou Mengmeng told
journalists in Doha that her male teammate, Tian Pengfei, had
beaten and sexually harassed her prior to her losing in the Asian
Games women's eight-ball pool semifinal.
She later withdrew from the bronze medal play-off, citing
emotional distress.
Cue sports officials initially played down the incident saying
there had been no sexual harassment.
The cue sports administration banned both players from all
domestic competition - including international tournaments held in
China - from January 1, 2007, as punishment for creating the
scandal.
In separate punishment notices posted on their website, the
Chinese cue sports administration said a "personal problem" between
the players had led to "fighting, conflict and behaviour that
seriously violated team rules."
Zhou had "irresponsibly approached the media to go public with
her personal dispute and gave up her bronze medal match," and was
ordered to apologise to the administration within 30 days.
It said Zhou had created an "extremely bad influence" on the
team, but had not "properly recognized her mistakes" despite
several occasions of "education".
Tian, who had "deeply" acknowledged his mistakes, was ordered to
apologise to Zhou.
(China Daily via Agencies January 29, 2007)