Chinese social media is ablaze with complaints about a volleyball match when the national women’s team of China competed while sporting N95 masks. Many online users expressed their rage, alleging that the nation’s zero-Covid plan was being abandoned at the expense of the health of the players. Later, the players removed their masks for the…
Chinese social media is ablaze with complaints about a volleyball match when the national women’s team of China competed while sporting N95 masks.
Many online users expressed their rage, alleging that the nation’s zero-Covid plan was being abandoned at the expense of the health of the players.
Later, the players removed their masks for the second set, which they won.
Later, the China Volleyball Association issued an apology, blaming the choice on “lack of expertise.”
Many people were nonetheless critical, with one noting that it was an instance of Chinese officials going “too far” with the mask requirement.
One commenter stated, “Our leaders are… going things too far, it’s that simple.”
The match between the Chinese squad and Iran took place on Thursday at the Asian Cup in the Philippines.
Photos from the game showing the sportsmen wearing masks swiftly spread on social media, sparking an unusual online backlash that garnered more than 16 million views on Weibo, China’s most popular social media site.
Is performance or health more important? read one Weibo comment. With regard to our athletes, we must assume some responsibility.
Another person questioned how long the so-called epidemic prevention sham would last. Do we want to become the punchline of jokes about other nations?
The Chinese Volleyball Association responded on Thursday with a public apology in response to the outrage expressed online.
Organizers of the team said in a statement on Weibo that they were aware of players on other teams who had the Covid virus before the game and that some symptoms had been detected among the Chinese team.
They made their players enter the arena wearing masks in order to stop the spread. But they said that the team kept the masks on during the first half since they weren’t sure if players had to wear them while on the floor.
The majority of the players removed their masks after halftime after losing the opening set, and they went on to defeat Iran 3-1. (BBC)
