Volleyball coach suspended for misconduct

The Shanghai Sports Institute suspended a deputy coach from the Shanghai Women's Volleyball Team after two players accused him of misconduct during a massage last Friday, the local sports authority said Wednesday.

The two players reported the coach to the team's leader Saturday for "inappropriate behavior and language" during a massage, according to a statement issued Wednesday on the Shanghai Municipal Sports Bureau's official microblog. One of the players told the coach that he had drunk too much and she no longer needed a massage.

A preliminary investigation found that the coach had been drinking that night, though he said he could not clearly recall what he said or did, the bureau said. The two players said it was the first time the coach had behaved inappropriately.

The Shanghai Sports Institute, which is charged with training players for the city's sports teams, said the coach should take personal responsibility for his conduct, according to the sports bureau. The institute added that it wouldn't excuse his behavior, even if it was his first offense or he was intoxicated. It also demanded that he apologize to the players and their parents.

The sports bureau had asked the institute earlier in the day to investigate the accusation. The call for an investigation followed an anonymous microblog post Tuesday that stated a coach on the team had sexually harassed several women volleyball players in Shanghai.

"After it happened, other coaches persuaded these players to keep silent and focus on the upcoming National Volleyball League Match," the post said.

The sports bureau vowed to punish anyone involved if the accusation was true. The investigation is ongoing.