Don’t mess with Chinese fans or else Zhu Ting will spike at you – kidding!!!
Seriously though – don’t mess with them.
Before heading to China last week for the very first stop of the Volleyball Nations League, 2 Belgian players offended Chinese volleyball fans with a racist gesture while at the at airport. Setter Ilka Van de Vyver shared a pic of her middle blocker teammate Nathalie Lemmens pulling her eyes back with the caption “on the road to” followed by a Chinese flag and Japanese flag.
Their followers quickly called them out for such gesture and eventually apologized.
Van De Vyver and Lemmens have set their IG accounts to private.
Some Reddit users were obviously FURIOUS and posted comments like:
“These people are so disrespectful. If they go to Africa, would they puff up their cheeks and pull their ears? Like in what world, would they think this would be acceptable?”
“You mocked the people. Apologize to the people, not the country. I couldn’t care less if you love or hate China.”
“They should be banned from ever competing in Asia.”
The FIVB and the Belgian Volleyball Federation have not released any statement regarding this incident except for the apology addressed by the athletes.
We wonder how Chinese fans will respond when their home team faces Belgium aka “The Yellow Tigers” on May 16th.
China is the world’s #1 team while Belgium is ranked #13. Zhu Ting and China are the current Olympic Champions while The Yellow Tigers have not won any international medal. The team’s best finish was winning a bronze medal at the 2013 European Championship.
