SINGAPORE: When Xiao Yan set up an Instagram page in 2022 dedicated to Chinese table tennis stars Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, all she wanted was to show her support for her compatriots while also introducing the two athletes to more people overseas.

“I felt our overseas friends wouldn’t get much of a chance to get to know Chinese athletes, especially when they’re not as famous,” said the 23-year-old university graduate.

But as the pair climbed the rankings, the mood around her posts soured. Xiao began noticing rude comments directed at the duo being left beneath her updates.

“(There would be) comments making fun of Sun and Wang’s table tennis results, calling them names … I was even called an idiot because I supported ‘idiots’,” said Xiao, adding that she would also find her posts repo

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