Zero tolerance for sports celebrities’ misbehaviors

When talking about Kong Linghui, most table tennis fans are impressed by his grand slam of titles – the world championships, World Cup, Olympics and how he led the Chinese national women’s team to victory globally.

However, the “ping-pong prince” has swept the headlines recently after a lawsuit over a gambling debt triggered a big stir online.

Kong was sued by Marina Bay Sands, a Singaporean hotel, for failing to fully repay a sum of S$1 million ($720,300) that he borrowed from the hotel’s casino in 2015, leaving over S$454,375 unpaid according to writ filed in a Hong Kong court.

Attempting to mitigate the negative impacts caused by this incident, Kong on Monday night wrote a post on his Sina Weibo account, China’s equivalent to Twitter, claiming that he had borrowed the money but didn’t gamble himself, adding that he watched his family and friends play at the casino and merely helped them to get chips and provided his personal information to the casino.

As the case is still under investigation, it is impossible to verify or ensure the authenticity of Kong’s statement. However, it is clear that his involvement in amassing gambling debts will not only deal a blow to his career (he is both a sports celebrity and a public servant), but will also have an adverse effect on China’s sports field as he may have violated sporting ethics and disciplines.

The Chinese Table Tennis Association announced on Tuesday that Kong had been suspended as head coach of the Chinese women’s table tennis team. A spokesperson for the State General Sports Administration of China said that the Administration apologized for the “negative influence” created by the incident and promised a further investigation into the matter.

This is not the first time Kong has been the center of public attention for his alleged misbehavior. According to a South China Morning Post report, he was involved in a car crash while driving drunk in 2006 in Beijing but escaped an automatic 15-day detention due to his sporting commitments.

Public figures have become an increasing part of people’s daily life due to the rise in instant news about their activities and whereabouts. Athletes have long been idolized as the epitome of physical health and strength. Moreover, famous athletes and coaches in China are managed within the national sports system, which is sponsored by Chinese government and public funds. In this regard, they bear social responsibility for winning honor for the country and boosting China’s national image in the global sports arena.

Therefore, Chinese society has higher moral standards for highprofile sports figures and they are expected to showcase good behavior and set a moral example for the public. When sports stars’ misconducts occur, they will surely become the target of public uproar and reproach.

For example, China’s badminton superstar Lin Dan was caught having an affair with a model while his wife was pregnant last year. Although he quickly apologized on Weibo, his betrayal of his wife Xie Xingfang came under fire because celebrity infidelity is intolerable in China.

Sports celebrities ought to be role models that exemplify good behaviors because of their opulent income and public support, as well as the scrutiny that celebrities undergo on a daily basis. They need to develop strict self-discipline and better manage their social connections. Otherwise, their wrongdoing and bad behaviors will spark a flood of condemnation.

Besides, the public should supervise sports celebrities’ misbehaviors to help the latter shape themselves and serve the people and country better.

Hopefully Kong’s case will serve as a lesson to sports celebrities on the importance of balancing personal gains and social responsibilities.