Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Gong Lijao's marriage questions condemned

China's state media created a problem for itself when an Olympic gold medalist was asked when she would get married and have children.

In addition, questions were asked about their relationships with men in their personal lives, which are being strongly condemned on social media.

Gong Lijao, a gold medalist in the women's shot put, was also called a "male woman."

Internet users in China have strongly condemned the recent interview with Chinese player Gong, calling it a sexist and narrow-minded attitude.

Since the incident with the Chinese athlete Wing, the topic has been trending with the hashtag 'Can a woman be talked about only in terms of marriage?'

The Internet is also questioning attitudes that make Chinese women look beautiful and delicate, as well as other expectations.

Before the interview began, a clip from the Tokyo Olympics was played in which a Chinese CCTV media reporter said on camera, "Before this unusual moment for Gong, I thought he was probably a man." ۔ '

The interview started after this clip.

Gong: I may look masculine on the outside, but on the inside I am a girl.

CCTV Journalist: Do you have any intention of living like a woman?

Gong: (Surprised) Lifelike women?

Second Female Journalist: Because you're a masculine woman playing shot put, do you think you'll be able to live your own life now?

Gong: Maybe. I will think If I don't train, I will lose weight, get married, have children. This is the path that man must choose.

The CCTV reporter scolded her, saying Gong was "smiling shyly" when asked about her personal life.

Gong was then asked if he had a boyfriend. What kind of partner are they looking for? And will she even wrestle with her boyfriend?

To which Gong laughed and replied, "I do not wrestle, I am very gentle."

With that, the interview ended.

You may recall that a similar incident occurred in a TV interview with Indian tennis star Sania Mirza in 2016, when she was asked, "When is Seattle coming to?"

Sania was the number one player in the women's world doubles rankings in those days. In response to this question, Sania Mirza said in surprise, "Perhaps I have disappointed you by preferring to be the number one player in the world instead of being a mother at this point in my life."

"But I will answer your question because that is the question I always face as a woman, but every woman has to get married first and then have children," she added. Unfortunately, only then are we considered settled. No matter how many Wimbledon matches we win or why we become the number one player, these things do not make us settled in your eyes. That will happen, but not yet. And whenever that time comes, I will tell everyone about it myself. '

Reactions on social media in China

Social media users in China have strongly condemned the questions asked of Gong.

A user on the review site Doban wrote, "Even after winning the Olympic gold medal, the mouths of these women who are involved in the personal affairs of others cannot be silenced."

One user wrote that the questions asked of Gong were discriminatory and mocking Gong's size.

The social media platform Weibo is trending a cartoon mocking the journalist's questions.

In one part of the cartoon, a female gymnast is asked, "How do you strike a balance between home and work?" In the second part, a female boxer is asked, "Can your boyfriend beat you (in the match)?"

Numerous users on Weibo have tried to encourage them by writing support messages on Gong's page.

In a popular message on Weibo, a user wrote, "It's not that she's not getting married, the thing is that there is no man like her." When we talk about women, it's not just about their beauty or marriage, it's also about their successes and dreams.

Responding to the message, Gong wrote, "This message reflects my feelings, thank you very much!"

Launched in 2018, the 'Me Too' movement has raised awareness of women's rights and is proving to be an important step towards changing traditional expectations of women.

In traditional Chinese society, women are expected to meet traditional standards of beauty and elegance. But in recent years, there has been a lot of talk about these attitudes.