A group of obsessive fans, whom China claims are impacting the Chinese athletes’ performance at the Paris Olympics, are being reprimanded. China is advising its Olympic supporters to stay civil. They claim that this problem is the most recent development in its lengthy struggle against the glorification of celebrities.
Recent reports from government media have condemned unacceptable behavior, such as supporters booing and yelling during games and promoting accusations of biased refereeing and cheating.
State media have said that on August 3rd, when Chen Meng won the women’s singles gold medal in table tennis (also known as Ping Pong) by defeating Sun Yingsha, the unacceptable behavior exploded.
Chen (30) is only the third woman in Olympic history to win the gold in two consecutive Olympic games. She won her first gold in Tokyo (2021).
Many Chinese internet users rallied behind Sun, even though she came up short. Others disparaged Chen’s victory, claiming that Sun’s exhaustion from three previous tournaments was the only reason she was able to win.
Over 800 accounts have been banned, and tens of thousands of postings have been deleted from Chinese social media sites due to what the Chinese government believes is the perpetuation of conflict and the spread of cynicism and pettiness. A woman had been arrested for her alleged slanderous remarks about the match.
Anger erupted online when one of Sun’s supporters hoped Chen would test positive for a forbidden drug so that the gold medal would be given up to Sun.
China said it will continue its attack on corrosive celebrity culture.
In November 2021, the Chinese cyberspace authority said it would oversee the online activities of famous people to promote a healthy and cordial internet environment. Ads on numerous websites and the control of celebrities’ private information were also part of the plan.
Reorganizing celebrity fan groups and routinely removing ‘dangerous content’ from fan sites and more have occurred in China.
In recent weeks, articles condemning sports fan culture have appeared in state-run media outlets. Authorities have also taken steps to curtail excessive cheering and taking pictures during sporting events and have begun a crackdown on selling autographed sporting goods.
Ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the organizing committee issued a warning to Chinese athletes not to join fan groups, stating that it wishes to effectively stop fanaticism from bringing disorder to athletic events.
When supporters began recording and following athletes last year, the Chinese Olympic Committee and the General Administration of Sport of China scolded them and insulted them as fans of little value. The committee claimed that the fans’ behaviors affect athletes’ training and reputations.
The fan mentality was already a target of Chinese government warnings before the Paris Olympics. It had previously issued a statement in which it complained about idol-worshiping fans who threatened public security as well as good moral habits, sportsmanship, and the usual flow of events due to their obsession with their celebrity idols.
Some athletes have spoken out, asking to be regarded with dignity.
Deng Yaping, an accomplished table tennis player, had previously asked supporters to voice their opinions without insults and attacks. Deng emphasized that they should treat each other with dignity and be accommodating to everyone.
