Tag Archives: Qatar 2022

Football

China’s Censored Crowd Close-ups Spark World Cup Outrage

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China’s national broadcaster CCTV censored close-ups of crowd shots throughout the World Cup in Qatar – but how did they it, why were they doing it, and what does it all mean?

A funny thing happened shortly after the start of the FIFA World Cup. I was browsing WeChat, the ubiquitous social media platform in China which combines Facebook-style posts with WhatsApp-style messaging (plus a whole lot more), and I came across this video post below:

What it showed was footage from parallel broadcasts of the Australia vs Tunisia World Cup game on November 26, 2022, with the international feed (complete with BBC graphics) at the top and China’s state-run channel CCTV’s version at the bottom. They were exactly the same, but with one crucial difference: whenever the BBC version went to close-up shots of the crowd, the CCTV version showed close-ups of the two coaches on the sidelines instead.

The general commentary online had made the connection with China’s COVID policy at the time and the World Cup in Qatar, ostensibly asking the question “Why is it that thousands of people can congregate at the World Cup without wearing masks whereas we here in China are largely confined to our homes?”

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Ice Hockey, Motorsport, Podcast, Tennis

Peng Shuai’s “Statement” and What it Means for Tennis in China

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If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the podcast yet, I’d really suggest you check this one out (see embed below). The is the eighth one we’ve done and it’s the best one yet. For a start, there’s a LOT going on right now! The Peng Shuai saga has completely blown up everywhere (except for China of course, where it’s heavily censored), Zhou Guanyu is set to make history as China’s first F1 driver as he will partner Valtteri Bottas at Alfa Romeo next season, there’s been a dramatic reversal from the International Ice Hockey Federation which could still lead to China getting kicked out of the Olympics, and we talk to Rowan Simons – who’s been inside the Chinese soccer world for more than 25 years. Full blurb below:

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Ice Hockey, Olympics

Confirmed: NHL Stars Set to Play at 2022 Beijing Olympics

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With five months to go until the 2022 Winter Olympics, one big question that has loomed large over the Games has now been answered – NHL players will again be back at the Olympics having been forced to skip Pyeongchang in 2018. That means Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and many more will actually be in Beijing – and soon! Let’s take a look at what this means – for the players, for the Olympics and for hockey fans worldwide.

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