- A Chinese entrepreneur promised cars to the Yongzhou football players if they won the championship
- Tang Lei, chairwoman of Xinlantian Group, later withdrew the car gift offer, citing financial issues
- Tang initially donated 100,000 yuan and publicly promised cars before deleting related social posts
A Chinese entrepreneur promised to gift a car to each member of the Yongzhou football team if they won the Hunan Provincial Football Competition. And guess what, they actually won. But when the moment arrived for the entrepreneur, Tang Lei, who is the chairwoman of Xinlantian Group, to keep her promise, she retracted her offer, citing financial difficulties and personal issues, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.
The report mentioned that Tang initially donated 100,000 yuan to support the team, and she had publicly promised cars for the players if they won. However, after the team's victory, Tang removed her social media posts.
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"If you win the championship, I will give each of you a car as a gift," Tang said in the video, which was posted by her and went viral on local social media. "Thank you, sister," the players replied.
Interestingly, the local football association stated they understand Tang's situation and won't pressure her to fulfil the promise.
"Support should not be a burden, and kindness should not be translated into debts. We oppose any moral kidnaps which are not in line with real situations," the statement said as quoted. "Protecting and supporting enterprises' development is also part of our social responsibility."
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The incident also prompted a reaction from the state media CCTV, as it said, "The company's donation of 100,000 yuan in the beginning is sincere and helped the team through the most challenging stage. Now, the company has problems. The association will not push it to realise its promise."
"It is a considerate gesture to respond to the company's previous kindness. A one-way donation has turned into two-way support," CCTV further added. "Yongzhou has won twice: in the football match and in the people's hearts."
Despite immense support to the entrepreneur's situation, some players and a section of social media users expressed private discontent and criticised Tang for lacking credibility.
