A Chinese national sports figure’s casino gambling debts are causing public embarrassment for Beijing, which is rarely a good idea for any public figure.

A writ filed in a Hong Kong court last Friday accuses two-time Olympic gold medal tennis table player Kong Linghui of failing to repay a six-figure marker drawn on an account at the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort in Singapore.

According to the writ, Kong signed a S$1m (US $721k) credit agreement with the casino in February 2015 that established the man known as China’s ‘ping pong prince’ as a premium player at MBS. Kong eventually repaid over S$545k but has yet to make good on the remaining S$454k. The casino, which is owned by Las Vegas Sands, is suing for repayment of the balance plus interest.

Kong issued a statement on Monday via social media that claimed he hadn’t actually gambled away the sum at the casino, but had only “provided my personal details to the casino” to get chips for friends and family while Kong himself was only “watching them play.”