Tao Xingying, the reporter who claimed that she was assaulted on Saturday by officials from the football association of Dalian said she and the newspaper would pursue the case with the Chinese Football Association and the All-China Journalists Association.

"I gave up reporting to the police in Dalian today, as all they could offer me was an experts' medical report. I thought that should be conducted in a hospital," Tao told China Daily on Sunday over the phone.

"Many people, including the players and translators from the Shanghai Shenhua soccer team as well as reporters from other media, said they will act as witnesses for me.