Recently at the table tennis women’s singles final at the Paris Olympics, Chinese player Chen Meng defeated her teammate Sun Yingsha with a score of 4:2, successfully defending her championship title. Actor Huang Xiaoming congratulated Chen Meng on her win, joking that more people congratulated him for his cousin’s championship victory than when he won a Best Actor award. However, a user named Tang Yafei left offensive comments in the discussion section, posting a screenshot of Huang Xiaoming’s celebration and stating that she only supports Sun Yingsha, and she is not afraid to offend anyone.
Chen Meng’s successful defense of her Olympic title on the evening of August 3 immediately sparked a buzz online. Huang Xiaoming was quick to post his congratulations, expressing his excitement to the point of almost being unable to breathe, typing out 20 “Ah” characters. Delighted, he even sent out 100 red envelopes in a group chat, joking that more people congratulated Chen Meng on her victory than him when he won his award. The related topics quickly trended online.
Some questioned Huang Xiaoming for “capitalizing on his cousin’s championship success,” to which he responded, “I enjoy and am proud of promoting my cousin’s success. What’s the problem?” Chen Meng, during an interview after the match, mentioned Huang Xiaoming, revealing that he messages her every day to inquire about her progress in the competition.
It is known that Chen Meng’s grandmother and Huang Xiaoming’s grandmother are sisters. Looking closely at past photos, it is evident that Huang Xiaoming and Chen Meng share a close relationship, with slight similarities in their facial features.
In 2013, Chen Meng mentioned in an interview that her cousin Huang Xiaoming often follows her competitions and even calls or texts her despite his busy filming schedule. In March 2020, when Chen Meng won the women’s singles championship at the Qatar Open, Huang Xiaoming congratulated her, expressing his pride. After Chen Meng’s victory at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Huang Xiaoming revealed in an interview that he watched the entire live broadcast of the competition on his phone in the car and expressed his excitement joyfully, exclaiming, “I’m so happy, our family has gained an Olympic champion!”
Following Chen Meng’s recent championship win, Huang Xiaoming posted congratulatory messages on another platform, praising both girls for their outstanding performances. While celebrating Chen Meng’s victory, he also took the time to compliment Sun Yingsha. However, a user named Tang Yafei criticized Huang Xiaoming’s post. Tang Yafei left vulgar comments under Huang Xiaoming’s celebration post for Chen Meng, stating that she only supports Sun Yingsha and is unapologetic about it.
It’s worth noting that Tang Yafei is the chairman of a media company and has previously been recognized as one of a certain city’s “Top Ten Outstanding Youth,” indicating a notable status. Prior to this, Huang Xiaoming had recorded videos using his influence to promote and support Tang Yafei.
The table tennis final match between the two Chinese players should have been a source of pride for the Chinese people, regardless of the outcome. However, it is noteworthy that Tang Yafei’s behavior is not an isolated incident. Even in the audience stands at the venue, the Chinese fans were overwhelmingly cheering for Sun Yingsha. After Chen Meng’s victory, the entire coaching staff appeared with somber expressions. In addition, according to reports from “Sohu.com,” when Chen Meng turned to acknowledge the audience after the match, the camera captured several Chinese spectators gesturing obscene hand signs toward her. While standing on the podium to receive her award, Chinese fans continuously shouted “Sun Yingsha.”
Reports indicate that in the face of prevalent biases among the audience, many foreigners felt confused and bewildered, observing that Chen Meng seemed to be largely overlooked compared to Sun Yingsha, as if she had no support behind her.
Some comments suggest that both the official Chinese authorities and fans appeared to be present to witness Sun Yingsha achieve a Grand Slam victory, and Chen Meng’s championship seemed to disrupt the celebratory plans they had prepared in advance. One netizen revealed on social media that before Sun Yingsha participated in the Paris Olympics table tennis women’s singles final, the “Yili Group” had already displayed a large advertisement on the screen in Beijing’s Sanlitun, congratulating Sun Yingsha on winning the gold medal. Moreover, the “Yili Group” even sent someone to Paris to cheer for Sun Yingsha directly, and a woman who gestured towards Chen Meng with her middle finger at the scene was found to be an investigation personnel from the Public Relations Department of Yili.
Regarding attributing this drama to the “fan circle culture chaos” by Chinese state media such as “The Beijing News,” overseas media commentator Wen Zhao stated on his YouTube channel program “Wen Zhao Talks about the Past and Present” that it is difficult to determine who are truly Sun Yingsha’s fans at the event, leading to innocent internet users collectively taking the blame. This approach avoids addressing the core issue—the distribution system of interests in the Chinese sports industry.
Wen Zhao believes that although Chinese state media reports seem neutral and objective, with a seeming inclination to protect Chen Meng, in reality, they blur the focus, actually safeguarding the most questionable Chinese sports bureaucrats that need scrutiny.