Chinese sports bodies add support to police crackdown on illegal toxic fan ‘rumours’

The Chinese Gymnastics Association said on Saturday that some fans had “created and spreading false rumours” among followers of the team, “stirring up negative emotions online, and insulting or slandering athletes, coaches, and officials”.

The behaviour inflicted “serious harm” to the work, lives, and families of those targeted and “disrupted and damaged the Chinese gymnastics team’s tradition of unity and patriotism”, the association said.

It did not say who the posts were aimed at or give details of the content.

The Chinese Table Tennis Association made a similar statement, saying some comments had had “extremely negative effects” on the athletes, coaches and society.

“The chaos in ‘fan circles’ has severely disrupted the normal training and competition of the Chinese table tennis team,” it said, again without saying what content it was referring to.

“Our association will collect evidence and hold accountable any organisations or individuals who insult, slander, or maliciously attack the Chinese table tennis team or its members online or in public places.”

The Chinese team tied with the United States in Paris, with 40 gold, ahead of Japan on 20 and Australia on 18.

The games, which ended a week ago, also unleashed some “illegal” fan behaviour, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

The ministry said that in two cases fans posted “negative information about table tennis players and coaches on social media” during the Olympics.

It said the behaviour caused “a harmful impact on society” and it was enforcing criminal case procedures against those involved.

Three other people were given “administrative penalties” for posting material questioning an unspecified Chinese Olympic champion and “publicly insulting gymnasts” on social media.

The ministry did not say what laws had been broken but revisions to the criminal law which came into effect in 2021 stipulate that it is a crime to damage the reputation and honour of heroes and martyrs.

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Quan Hongchan’s hometown becomes tourist hotspot after her success at Paris Olympics

Quan Hongchan’s hometown becomes tourist hotspot after her success at Paris Olympics

Pan’s record-setting performance in Paris along with his instrumental role in ending the United States’ 64-year domination of the men’s 4x100m medley relay, earned him a huge following online.

But Pan said he wanted he wanted to enjoy “a low profile and some peace and quiet”, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The moves aligns with Beijing’s campaign in recent years to “clean up” online content and curb online fan communities, particularly relating to celebrities.

In 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet watchdog, detailed 10 areas for rectification among fan communities.

The CAC told local authorities to cancel all forms of celebrity rankings and tighten oversight of celebrity marketing agencies.