A pro gamer has been sacked after she claimed that short men 'don't have human rights'.
Japanese Tekken star Kana ‘Tanukana’ Tani is a gaming ace, winning the 2019 WESG Chongqing Tekken 7 Invitational.
However, her outburst during a livestream earlier this month has led to her being axed by Cyclops Athlete Gaming.
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During the broadcast on 15 February, Tanukana said: "Men who are under 5 ft 7 don’t have human rights."
She also claimed that shorter men should look into undergoing bone lengthening surgery as a result.
And as well as men's height, Tanukana said women with A-cup sized breasts also don't have human rights.
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In a statement, Cyclops Athlete Gaming apologised for the remarks and confirmed she had been sacked.
A spokesperson for the body said: "We here at Cyclops Athlete Gaming apologize deeply for the inappropriate statements from our sponsored player Tanukana and the pain her words have caused people, as well as all the distress and trouble caused to the fans who support our team and the sponsors involved.”
"Miss Tanukana’s inappropriate statements in her live stream on February 15th of 2022 were not approved by us and have led to us terminating her contract.
"We recognize that any discriminatory or insulting acts, behaviors, or statements on SNS are not allowed, and we value diversity for all.
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"In the future, we will strengthen the management system such as education and guidance of affiliated players and thoroughly prevent recurrence."
Tanukana has since apologised for her comments.
In a series of tweets, she claimed that she did not intend to cause offence.
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She said: "I am very sorry to all the fans who support me on a daily basis, to all the sponsors such as Red Bull, and to my selfish remarks, which caused unpleasant feelings and a great deal of inconvenience.
"I take it seriously that my remarks during the delivery are unacceptable and that my lack of awareness has led to it. There is no excuse for disappointing you in this matter.
"As a professional esports player and as a member of society, I deeply regret and apologize for betraying you."
According to reports in Kotaku, Tanukana's comments have also ignited a linguistic debate among people online.
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The publication explained that the Japanese term for human rights is jinken (人権).
However, in gaming speak, this same word can also be used for an item or character that all players need to have.
Topics: Gaming, Technology, World News