Olympic badminton teams disqualified for throwing matches

An unidentified official talks to world doubles champions Yu Yang, left, and Wang Xiaoli, during their women's doubles badminton match against South Kora at the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 31, 2012, in London. / AP

(AP) LONDON - Four badminton teams were kicked out of the women's doubles at the London Games on Wednesday for trying to lose on purpose, conduct that a top IOC executive said strikes at the heart of Olympic competition.

The eight doubles players from China, South Korea and Indonesia were cited by the Badminton World Federation for "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport."

"We have to be clear, there has been a problem here and we have to take that problem very seriously," BWF secretary general Thomas Lund said. "There are things we can improve on and look at after this competition."

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Eight badminton players disqualified from Olympics

South Korea and Indonesia appealed the disqualification, but the BWF rejected the South Korean appeal and the Indonesia challenge was withdrawn. China had accepted the federation's earlier decision.

The competition was to continue later Wednesday with four previously eliminated teams in the quarterfinals. Russian pair Valeria Sorokina and Nina Vislova, and Canadian team Alex Bruce and Michele Li now advance from Group A. Australian pair Leanne Choo and Renuga Veeran and South African duo Michelle Edwards and Annari Viljoen go through from Group C.

"We applaud the federation for having taken swift and decisive action," IOC spokesman Mark Adams told The Associated Press. "Such behavior is incompatible with the Olympic values."

Before the decision was announced, Indonesia Olympic team leader Erick Thohir accused Chinese players of losing on purpose in the past.

"China has been doing this so many times and they never get sanctioned by the BWF," Thohir said. "On the first game yesterday when China did it, the BWF didn't do anything. If the BWF do something on the first game and they say you are disqualified, it is a warning for everyone."

IOC Vice President Craig Reedie, the former head of the international badminton federation, welcomed the decision to kick the four teams out.

"Sport is competitive," Reedie told the AP. "If you lose the competitive element, then the whole thing becomes a nonsense.

"You cannot allow a player to abuse the tournament like that, and not take firm action. So good on them."

The eight disqualified players are world doubles champions Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang of China and their South Korean opponents Jung Kyun-eun and Kim Ha-na, along with South Korea's Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung and Indonesia's Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii.

The players went before a disciplinary hearing Wednesday, a day after spectators at the arena booed their performance after it became clear they were deliberately trying to lose.

Head badminton referee Torsten Berg, third from left, talks to Indonesia's Greysia Polii, left, and her coach Paulus Firman after he issued a black card to Polii and her partner Meiliana Jauhari as well Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung, of South Korea, unseen, during their women's doubles badminton match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 31, 2012, in London.

/ AP

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge had been at the venue but had left shortly before the drama unfolded. The IOC said it would allow badminton's ruling body to handle the matter.

Paul Deighton, chief executive officer of the London organizers, said there would be no refunds for the evening's badminton program. Chairman Sebastian Coe called what happened "depressing," adding "who wants to sit through something like that?"

Teams blamed the introduction of a round-robin stage rather than a straight knockout tournament as the main cause of the problem. The round-robin format can allow results to be manipulated to earn an easier matchup in the knockout round.

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London Olympics: Aug. 1, 2012

The Chinese players tried to rig the draw after its second-seeded pair unexpectedly lost to a Danish team in the morning. That placed the No. 2 pair on course for a semifinal meeting with Wang and Yu, instead of the final.

Wang and Yu then deliberately set out to lose so they would go into the bottom half of the draw. They hardly exerted themselves, and neither did the South Koreans, drawing jeers of derision from the crowd and warnings from the umpire and tournament referee Torsten Berg. Wang and Yu eventually got what they wanted by losing.

An hour later, the South Korean team of Ha and Kim took to the court and decided to also try to lose to the Indonesians to avoid meeting Wang and Yu in the quarterfinals. Early on, all four players were warned by the umpire for not trying hard, and Berg returned and produced black cards to disqualify both pairs, but the cards were rescinded on a promise of better play.

In the third game, Berg reappeared to urge them to finish, and the Indonesians ended up being better at losing than Ha and Kim, who fell into the playoff they didn't want with the world champions.

One of the world's top male players, 2004 Olympic singles champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, called the situation a "circus match."

China's Lin Dan, the Olympic men's champion in singles, said the sport is going to be damaged.

"Especially for the audience," he said through an interpreter before the disqualifications were announced. "This is definitely not within the Olympic spirit. But like I said before, it's not one-sided. Whoever sets the rule should make it knockout so whoever doesn't try will just leave the Olympics."

Beijing badminton silver medalist Gail Emms said the matches were embarrassing to watch.

"It was absolutely shocking," she said. "The crowds were booing and chanting 'Off, off, off.'"

[jifehuang]

When you know if you win, you gonna face stronger opponent or your compatriots, and you still do your best to win, you'll be considered fool instead of getting respected. Is the spirit of Olympics the spirit of fools? This time 4 pairs from 3 nations were involved. This further testifies that it is common sense for all athletes to play in a smarter way. Morals and spirits are important, but they are by no means created for teaching fools.

[pewpewz]

Actually throwing the badminton match just shows to me that the asian teams don't feel that they need to prove who is better among themselves because they already beat all the other countries, you can see it as a sisterhood of sorts.

[GoUnion86]

Wow that Chinese women's team is gorgeous. I wonder if I could get them to autograph my shuttlecock.

[jimatmadison]

Well, thanks a bunch. Now my Olympic Women's Badminton betting pool is all messed up.

[Skipper-Sam]

So let me get this straight !! Ryan Lochte can lose on purpose and not give 100 % to save his best race for the medal round
(which he did and he was lauded for it on national television
Everyone said it was the smart thing to do.
But a badminton player disgraces the olympic spirit when they dont "play their best" to assure thier place in the medal rounds???

Huh???

Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!!!!

[Seanyke]

when the game is dominated by Asian countries there's always discrimination. they'll use the excuse of this and that and for this they said it was unsportmanship while the west (USA, GB and the rest) gets away with it and even lauded in some cases). I reckon olympics has lost its appeal and this is the worst Olympics ever i've seen..

[jimatmadison]

He didn't 'lose on purpose'. He swam his way into the medal round.

Losing on purpose would have been finishing last so he could be in a less challenging next round.

[ggtvs]

that's not what competition is about.

they were throwing a match so they didn't have to work as hard at showing themselves to be the best in the world.

they were deliberately looking for the easiest path past the other competitors in the filed simply 'to win'.

they shouldn't be in the olympic competition if this is their intent ... and as such ... this is why they were disqualified.
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If you are an athlete, what is you purpose to join the competition for? Are you just going to play around and got nothing? I think most athletes are hoping to win. Like swimming, No swimmer use all energy at preliminary. why? Is that due to they want to keep more energy for the final one? It against the rule:"not using one's best effort to win a match" . Did any of them be disqualify? Why we should treat them differently?

[MagnaCartaUK]

Two totally different things. Conserving your energy is a legitimate and logical tactic. It supposes that one's merely conserving energy with a view to optimizing performance when competing at the next level when the quality of opposition is stronger. That's not avoiding stronger competition, but simply ensuring that one can confront it better and with greater vigour. What we see with these badminton cheats is the total avoidance of the stiffer competition at the next level. In other words, someone who conserves energy is willing to take on the best in order to win, whilst these badminton cheats don't want to take on the best, yet are still perfectly willing to perhaps gain a medal by deception whilst living with the false reputation of having done so. It's deceit, and a true champion will never run scared of defeat and avoid quality opponents just because of it. It's like someone receiving a medal for bravery, yet never having performed the brave act. It's deceit - pure and simple.

[MagnaCartaUK]

A good and sound decision. The whole ethos of sport is based upon accepting the challange of beating the best to become champions, confronting your personal limitations, and respecting your opponent. Anything else is living a lie. All we witnessed here was blatant manipulation, and all it suggests to the next generation of athletes; namely that gamesmanship is acceptable. It isn't. It suggests that dis-regarding the public who chose to pay and watch them perform to their upmost abilities is acceptable - it isn't. What is certain, is that they're sporting cowards - people who haven't the guts to take on the best and win medals on merit. In our everyday lives we expect , perhaps naively, that decent standards in society are preferable - I think that applies to sport too - and especially the Olympics that's cost us 42 billion to host. One thing I'm still un-convinced about though, is who exactly originally indicated that this manipulation is acceptable - the players themselves - or was it realy their coaching staff? Perhaps such sad, desperate people who stoop to conquer should take the time to read Rudyard Kipling's classic 'If'. It offers some good guidance to those of weak character.

[A_Canadian_Opinion]

Yahoo, the Canadian team is back in! Thanks girls!

[MagnaCartaUK]

Lol, trust a Canuck to come out with that. You're rowing 8 were great Wednesday. I honestly thought we'd get the silver there behing the Germans, but that was an impressive performance by your crew. One of these days though.

[zwaggsy]

People on this board seem to be under the misapprehension that these players were simply not giving it their all. The truth is they were playing as if they were completely stoned! Repeatedly serving into the net, simply standing still & allowing easy returns to sail over their heads.

There's doing just enough to get through & make things still look interesting & then there's simply turning up on court & embarrassing both yourselves & your home nation. Make no mistake about it, this was a huge slap in the face to the loyal fans who paid good money & put in the effort to travel all the way over to the UK only to have their heroes embarrass them all on the global stage.
A clue as to the fans mood is in China quietly accepting the ruling and not kicking off about the West picking on them yet again.

There was nothing "strategic" about these particular games only humiliation for the fans & home nations on the World Stage at this farce!

[Filmguy870]

Put Quidditch in there...that'll solve everything!

[an5200]

LOL, Classic!!!! :)