A screen shot of the statement by the Yunnan Provincial Sport Bureau Photo: Yunnan Provincial Sport Bureau

 
 
In response to the reported allegations made by an athlete against a director at a training base in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, the Yunnan Provincial Sport Bureau (YPSB) has established an investigation team to carry out a comprehensive inquiry and will handle the matter in accordance with regulations and the law based on the findings, according to a statement issued by the YPSB on Monday.

Wang Li, a Yunnan dragon boat athlete and three-time Asian Games gold medalist, recently filed a real-name complaint via her personal social media account on Weibo, alleging that Fan Jiwen, director of the Songmao Sports Training Base in Yunnan, had demanded 150,000 yuan ($21,263) in competition prize money from her after the 2023 Asian Games. 

After failing to give Fan the money, Wang alleged that Fan began deliberately targeting her. She said she was maliciously marginalized, barred from training, and that retirement paperwork was submitted without her knowledge, forcing her to leave the training base. Other team members were allegedly subjected to verbal abuse and corporal punishment. She accused Fan of abusing his authority, extorting money, and seriously tarnishing the spirit of the sport.

Wang revealed that prolonged pressure and suppression led her to develop severe depression, leaving her on the verge of a breakdown multiple times.

Wang claimed three gold medals in dragon boat events at the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games held in East China's Zhejiang Province, becoming the first athlete in Yunnan's history to win three golds at the Asian Games.
 
A staff member at the training base told the Global Times on Monday that she has learned of the investigation and information about the investigation needs to be sought from the provincial sport bureau.