Table Tennis Association supports action against toxic fan circles

The Chinese Table Tennis Association has expressed its full support for recent measures taken by law enforcement authorities to combat illegal activities of “fan circles” that disrupt the sports sector.

A “fan circle” is a well-organized group of fans dedicated to promoting and defending a celebrity or public figure, often through coordinated online activity. While many fan circles are supportive, some become toxic, harassing others, spreading rumors, and attacking rivals – behavior that has recently led to harsh action by authorities.

In a statement released on Saturday, the CTTA strongly condemned the unlawful conduct that disrupted the normal training and competitions of the Chinese table tennis team and caused significant harm to the athletes, coaches and management.

The statement comes in response to recent revelations by the Ministry of Public Security about four notable cases of illegal “fan circle activities” targeting sports figures.

One of the cases involved a 29-year-old woman surnamed He from Suzhou, Jiangsu province, who was accused of spreading defamatory statements about Chinese table tennis players and coaches on social media platforms. Authorities in Beijing have remanded her in custody since August 6, citing the harmful social impact of her actions.

Another case investigated by Guangdong police involved a 38-year-old woman surnamed Wang from Guangzhou who repeatedly posted insulting and defamatory comments about table tennis players on social media. She was also prosecuted on August 13.

In a separate investigation, authorities in Shandong and Hebei provinces targeted two men surnamed Gai and Xu, both 23 years old, for their roles in an online harassment case. Gai wrote a viral online post questioning the credibility of Paris Olympic gold medalist Chen Meng. Xu then shared the post widely, sparking significant public backlash. Both men were given administrative penalties.

Finally, an 18-year-old woman surnamed Yang from Jiaozuo, Henan Province, was punished for publicly insulting a gymnast on social media. Her actions also led to an administrative penalty from local law enforcement.

In light of these incidents, cyber police departments have stepped up their efforts to monitor and combat illegal activities related to “fan circles” in the sports sector.

Despite these challenges, the national table tennis team remains united and strives for excellence, according to the CTTA. The association reiterated its commitment to the healthy development of Chinese table tennis.