8 badminton players expelled from Olympic doubles

Indonesian Olympic team leader Erick Thohir said eight female badminton players have been disqualified from the Olympics doubles competition for unsporting conduct after trying to lose matches in order to receive a more favorable placing in the playoffs.

The Badminton World Federation investigated the doubles players from China, South Korea and Indonesia, finding them guilty of ''not using one's best efforts to win a match'' and ''conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport'' in matches Tuesday night.

The Federation had charged eight players with misconduct on Wednesday after each team in two women's Olympic doubles encounters tried to throw the matches to secure a more favourable draw later on.

The pairs have been charged... with 'not using one's best efforts to win a match' and 'conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport', the federation had said in a statement.

Spectators at the Wembley Arena shouted abuse and jeered at players from China, South Korea and Indonesia when they deliberately sprayed shots and duffed serves into the net to concede points in attempts to lose on purpose.

The Chinese Olympic team is now investigating the incidents, state news agency Xinhua quoted a spokesman as saying.

South Korea head coach Sung Han-kook said two of his pairings had attempted to throw their matches against China's world champion duo and an Indonesian team but added it was in retaliation against the Chinese team who instigated the farce.

He said they had deliberately tried to throw the first of the tainted matches to ensure their leading duo of Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli would be sure not to meet China's number two pair until the gold medal decider.

The Chinese started this. They did it first, Sung told reporters through an interpreter. It's a complicated thing with the draws. They didn't want to meet each other in the semi-final.

... contd.

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