The Chinese Volleyball Federation apologized on Friday for not asking members of the women’s team, which is currently contesting the Asian Cup in the Philippines, to remove their masks during a match against Iran.
The Chinese players, dressed in red and with white face masks, faced the Iranians who wore black shirts, pants and a hijab -a long tunic-. Without a doubt, an unusual scene that has surprised many Internet users in China.
The Chinese team, one of the best in the world, won 3-1 on Thursday in Pasig, Philippines, where the competition is being held, and occupies the first position of its group.
Just before the end of the first set, which they lost, some players began to remove their masks, and then the rest of the team, an AFP journalist confirmed.
Many Chinese through the Internet expressed concern about the health of athletes.
“I thought it was a joke when I saw that. I did not imagine that they had really played with masks,” wrote a user of the Chinese social network Weibo, in tune with the general tone of the comments.
In response to the growing controversy, the Asian giant’s Volleyball Federation, in a message posted on its Weibo account, apologized for “causing the attention and concern of the general public.”
China is one of the few countries that continues to apply a strict health policy against covid-19, with localized confinements, travel restrictions, almost mandatory PCR tests, and the use of masks recommended and even imposed.
