Olympics: Behave yourselves, China tells its sports fans

Beijing says "aggressive fan culture" affects atheletes' performance and mars the country's reputation.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersBehave yourselves, China tells its Olympic fansGetty ImagesState media says "fan culture" reached a peak when fans came out against paddler Chen Meng (right) after she defeated teammate Sun YingshaBeijing is cracking down on "aggressive fans" who it says are affecting the performance of Chinese athletes at the Paris Olympics - the latest in its years-long war against celebrity worship.

In recent days, state media reports have called out "inappropriate" behaviour, such as fans booing during events or accusing referees of being unfair.

This "fan culture", they said, reached a peak on 3 August when paddler Chen Meng defeated teammate Sun Yingsha to win gold in the table tennis women's singles.

The Chinese internet exploded with support for Ms Sun despite her loss, with some denouncing Ms Chen's victory, saying she won only because Ms Sun was exhausted from three earlier events.

Chinese social media platforms have collectively removed tens of thousands of posts and banned over 800 accounts for allegedly "spreading negativity and fomenting conflict" about the event.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjdk5l94p1zo

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