An audio recording purported to capture former table tennis player Zhang Yudong belittling No. 1 Wang Chuqin’s ability and accusing him of selfishness was leaked online after Wang lost to Zhang on Saturday.
On Sunday, Zhang denied the allegations on social media, explaining that he had reported the matter to the police and clarified that his remarks were directed at a teammate rather than Wang.
The two faced each other in the first leg of the regular season of the Chinese Premier Table Tennis League, which concluded in Dalian on Sunday.
In the match that ended on Saturday afternoon, Shandong Weiqiao Pioneering Group defeated Sichuan Fenggu Table Tennis Club with a total of 8-3 and achieved their third consecutive victory.
However, Shandong’s Wang suffered a 1-2 loss to Sichuan’s Zhang, who was returning to competition after a four-year retirement, in the second men’s singles match.
Shortly after, a leaked pre-match recording allegedly showed Zhang describing Wang as “truly incompetent” and a “manipulator”, sparking a huge online debate.
