Taiwanese table tennis star Cheng I-ching has publicly accused a male security guard of subjecting her to inappropriate physical contact during a security check at a London venue, sparking an international response from sports authorities and reigniting debate about the protection of female athletes.
The incident allegedly occurred on May 2, 2026, as Cheng arrived at the venue for a match at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London, where her team, Chinese Taipei, was set to face South Korea.
The Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association said it was notified of the incident at approximately 1:40pm London time, when coaches reported that a female player said she had been subjected to inappropriate sexual harassment by security personnel while entering the venue. The association said the staff member involved was immediately removed from duty and would not continue working at the event.
Cheng, ranked 34 years old and Taiwan’s highest-ranked woman at the tournament, did not feature in any of her team’s matches following the incident. Despite her absence, Chinese Taipei defeated South Korea 3-1 in their opening women’s team match.
Cheng initially did not identify herself publicly, but later chose to break her silence on Instagram, framing the incident as part of a broader pattern of mistreatment faced by women in sport. “As athletes, we endure immense physical and mental pressure in pursuit of better performance on the field, and we are also forced to confront various forms of unfair treatment,” she wrote. “These are not just my experiences, but challenges faced by countless female athletes around the world. That’s why this time, I’ve chosen to stand up. To speak out for all female athletes. Sports needs more than just equal opportunities; it needs the serious protection of human rights.”
The ITTF, World Table Tennis (WTT), and the Local Organising Committee said in a joint statement that they were deeply troubled by the account and described what was reported as completely unacceptable. “Every athlete deserves to feel safe, respected, and protected at all times and in all spaces,” the statement said, adding that a comprehensive fact-finding and safeguarding investigation is currently underway.
The ITTF acknowledged that the United Kingdom is currently operating under heightened security threat levels, which necessitate stringent entry protocols at the venue, but stressed that these protocols must always be executed professionally and appropriately.
Cheng concluded her Instagram post by vowing to continue competing. “I will continue to strive and never back down,” she wrote.
The case has drawn attention globally to the conditions under which female athletes compete and the responsibility of sporting organisations to ensure their safety and dignity at events.
