China tells fans ‘chase stars rationally’ ahead of Winter Olympics
FILE PHOTO: A man adjusts an emblem of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games before a ceremony unveiling the slogan, in Beijing, China September 17, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo
SHANGHAI—The Chinese Olympic Committee said athletes should play a role in dampening what authorities have called the country’s “chaotic” celebrity fan culture amid recent instances of “excessive” fan behavior in the sports world.
With Beijing hosting the Winter Olympics in February, the Committee said in a statement on its official Weibo account on Thursday that fans should “chase stars rationally and avoid improper words and deeds.”
“Recently, out of their love for national team athletes, fans have displayed excessive behaviors in public areas such as airports, such as pulling and pushing athletes, which has caused a negative social impact,” the committee said.
Authorities have ordered broadcasters, online platforms and artists to help curb the phenomenon, criticizing fan clubs in particular for their influence over minors and for causing social disorder and citing the abuse being traded online by competing fan clubs.
The Committee said in the statement athletes should not participate in events organized by fan clubs.
Tickets for the Beijing Winter Games, which start on Feb. 4, will be sold only to spectators from mainland China, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday.
