The Chinese Volleyball Association has apologised after several players were forced to wear N95 masks during their Asia Cup match against Iran.
Players wore the masks during the first set of their match, which they lost, before removing them ahead of the second set and going on to beat Iran 3-1. The incident caused outrage on social media in the country, with users saying China's zero- Covid strategy was going "too far".
"Our leaders are... taking things too far - it's as simple as that," wrote one user. "Is health more important, or performance?" questioned another social media user. "If you want to focus on results, then don't do this kind of thing. Ordinary people can't breathe well when wearing a mask and climbing stairs.
