China's former table tennis world champion Kong Linghui has had a lawsuit filed against him in a Hong Kong court by a Singaporean hotel.

Reports suggest that Kong borrowed one million Singaporean dollars (721,200 US dollars) from Marina Bay Sands, but failed to pay back the debt in full.

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The hotel is now seeking to recover 454,375 Singaporean dollars plus interest from Kong.

On Monday night, Kong posted a statement on his Weibo account saying that he, his parents and friends spent four days in Singapore in February in 2015, where his relatives and friends went to the casino. He said he was watching them playing but left his personal information when getting them chips.

Screenshot from Kong Linghui's Weibo account

In the post, Kong said he didn’t know of the debt dispute until reading media reports, that he had asked the debtor to clarify the situation at the earliest time, and that he will resort to legal means to protect his own rights. 

On Tuesday, China’s Table Tennis Association suspended Kong from his position as head coach of the country's national women’s team in response to the allegations.

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At the same time, Kong has been ordered to assist the investigation by returning to China immediately from Dusseldorf, Germany, where the World Table Tennis Championships is currently underway.

China's General Administration of Sport on Tuesday also responded to the matter, apologizing for the "negative influence" caused by the incident and promising an investigation into the case. It also says there is zero tolerance towards any behavior that violates sporting ethics, disciplines or laws.

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Dubbed as the “Ping Pong Prince”, Kong is one of China’s most successful athletes, having claimed grand slam titles at the World Cup, World Championships, and two Olympic Games between 1994 and 2005. 

Kong retired in 2006, when he began to coach the national women’s team. He became the team's head coach in 2013.