China blogger 'sorry' for Federer threat - Capital Sports
Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Headlines

China blogger ‘sorry’ for Federer threat

SHANGHAI, CHINA October 10 – A blogger in China who made a death threat against Roger Federer said he had apologised but remained at large after vowing to “assassinate” the world number one, according to an Internet posting.

An Internet user under the name “Blue Cat Polytheistic Religion Founder 07” threatened the tennis player before he arrived to play, prompting organisers to step up security for the Shanghai Masters, which started on Sunday.

“I have not been arrested,” said a posting on China’s popular baidu.com site, where the original threat also appeared.

“I took the initiative to contact the relevant people to apologise,” said the message, which was posted around midday on Tuesday.

The original threat read: “On October 6, I plan to assassinate Federer for the purpose of tennis extermination.”

The user also posted a doctored image showing a decapitated Federer on his knees on a tennis court, with an axe-wielding executioner standing next to him.

Shanghai Masters organisers said last week ahead of the competition that they were taking the bizarre threat “seriously” while Federer himself labelled it a “distraction” after arriving in the Chinese commercial hub.

“Obviously maybe it’s a little bit of a distraction, there’s no doubt about it,” Federer said Sunday.

“It was something just very small on a website, nothing clear and concrete, people just debating.”

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Federer’s wife and twin daughters have not travelled to China but he said that decision had nothing to do with the threats.

Federer has been surrounded by a dozen security guards in dark suits who also stayed on the sidelines around the court when he practised on Tuesday. His first match is on Wednesday.

A Shanghai police spokesman on Wednesday declined to comment on the case.

In 1993, former world number one Monica Seles was stabbed by a fan during a match in Hamburg.

Advertisement

More on Capital Sports

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 27 – DStv and GOtv subscribers are in for a treat of the world’s best football this week as the 2020-21...

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 25 – There is light at the end of the tunnel. After failed promises over the last three years since its...

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 6 – Gentrix Shikangwa scored with two minutes left as Vihiga Queens sailed to the final of the CECAFA regional qualifiers...

NFL

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 13 – Kenya’s history making Daniel Adongo, the first Kenyan to play in America’s National Football League (NFL), is now living...

© 2024 Capital Digital Media. Capital Group Limited. All Rights Reserved