‘Ping-pong prince’ suspended as coach
Print Edition
ONE of China’s best known table tennis champions has been suspended as head coach of the national women’s team following reports of a gambling debt lawsuit.
Kong Linghui, 41, was ordered to return home from the World Championships in Dusseldorf, Germany, to aid an investigation by the Chinese Table Tennis Association.
Singapore’s luxury Marina Bay Sands resort, where Kong and his family and friends had stayed last year, filed the lawsuit in a Hong Kong court. Media reports said Kong had borrowed S$1 million (US$721,200) from the hotel.
But the Olympic gold medallist, nicknamed the “ping-pong prince,” failed to repay the money in full.
“His acts have been a serious violation of the disciplinary provisions of national public officials,” the China Table Tennis Association said in a statement announcing its decision to suspend Kong and order him home.
Of the S$1 million Kong is said to have borrowed from the hotel’s casino, S$100,000 was used to “establish him as a premium player,” the South China Morning Post reported.
Kong repaid S$545,625 but still owed the hotel S$454,375, it said.
The hotel is reportedly seeking the balance of the loan plus interest. It declined to comment on the legal action.
The Marina Bay Sands casino complex is a favorite destination for Chinese visitors to Singapore.
In a post on his Weibo social media account, Kong said he was “deeply disturbed by the negative impact” of the incident but denied he had been gambling.
“My friends and family members went downstairs to the hotel’s casino to entertain themselves. I stood by to watch them. During the time they were playing I went to get chips for them and left my personal information,” Kong said.
He added that the “debt dispute” involved some of his friends and relatives.
But China’s top sport governing body said it had a “zero tolerance” for “any kind of violation of professional ethics and illegal acts.”
On its website, the General Administration of Sport said: “Well-known athletes and coaches should pay more attention to their public image and the social impact (of their behavior) and take the lead in complying with disciplines and laws.”
The administration apologized for the “negative influence” caused by the incident and promised an investigation into the matter.
A spokesman said that the administration would conduct a further investigation based on an initial probe by the table tennis association and mete out punishment in accordance with relevant regulations and laws.
Kong, known for using the “shakehand” grip favored by European competitors, ended his playing career in 2006 and became the national women’s coach in 2013.
The current dispute is not the first time he has found himself in legal hot water.
In 2006, a few months before he retired, he crashed his Porsche into a Beijing taxi while driving drunk. He was fined and had his license suspended.
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