// Adds dimensions UUID, Author and Topic into GA4
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
28.9 C
Singapore
type here...
InternationalAsiaWorld
Less than 1 min.Read

Chinese basketball team gets hefty fine for Mao parody

AFP
By AFP

A top-tier Chinese basketball team was hit with a one million yuan ($140,000) fine for a promotional image that swapped out Mao Zedong for the club’s mascot.

Zhejiang Guangsha Lions apologised for the picture which was posted on social media and showed a lion in a Mao suit and red-starred hat, along with the slogan: “If you are backward, you will take a beating.”

The phrase is associated with the Opium War, the 19th century conflict between Britain and China, and the poster was heavily reminiscent of Communist Party propaganda from Mao’s era.

Five players at the bottom of the image are wearing red scarves, and the club wrote on the Twitter-like Weibo platform where it published the picture: “Long live the red spirit.”

Fining the team, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) said that the “design of the poster showed seriously inappropriate information, causing an extremely negative social impact”.

Zhejiang blamed “serious negligence from design and review staff” and said that it had sacked staff responsible.

It stoked controversy on Weibo, with some calling it the biggest fine in the CBA’s history but others demanding even sterner punishments for those behind it.

© Agence France-Presse

Google News Follow Google News WhatsApp Join us on WhatsApp Telegram Follow us on Telegram

Hot this week

Jobs

Divorced mum of 3 says she is running out of savings as she struggles to find a job: ‘I’m 36 and have nothing’

SINGAPORE: A divorced mother of three has turned to Reddit for help finding a job, saying she is running out of savings while struggling to find work that allows her to care for her children. The...
Asia This Week

SIMBA redefines Singapore’s Home Broadband Landscape with first-in-market WiFi 7 Integrated ONR

In an era where remote work, 4K/8K media streaming, low-latency online gaming, and smart home ecosystems dominate daily life, the demand for fast, reliable, and comprehensive home connectivity has ...

Popular Categories

Singapore NewsFeatured NewsSG EconomySingapore PoliticsLifestyleCelebrityIn the Hood
document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { const trigger = document.getElementById("ads-trigger"); if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { entries.forEach(entry => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here observer.unobserve(entry.target); // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); observer.observe(trigger); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });

The Independent SG

Also Visit

Social Media

© The Independent Singapore

// //
Enable Notifications OK No thanks