IOC eyes further action against badminton pairs

By: Neil Davidson Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012

LONDON -- The IOC could take further action -- including expulsion from the Olympics -- against the eight badminton players disqualified for discrediting their sport by trying to lose on purpose.

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LONDON -- The IOC could take further action -- including expulsion from the Olympics -- against the eight badminton players disqualified for discrediting their sport by trying to lose on purpose.

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This article was published 02/08/2012 (4835 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LONDON — The IOC could take further action — including expulsion from the Olympics — against the eight badminton players disqualified for discrediting their sport by trying to lose on purpose.

In an interview with The Associated Press, IOC President Jacques Rogge supported the decision by the international badminton federation to disqualify the four women’s doubles teams from South Korea, China and Indonesia but said he could still intervene “if needed.”

“We are in contact with the national Olympic committees to see what action they will take, and then we will decide accordingly,” Rogge said.

Asked whether the International Olympic Committee could take its own action, he said: “That is a possibility if needed.”

While the players have been disqualified from the competition, the IOC has the power to formally expel athletes from the Olympics, strip their accreditations and kick them out of the athletes village.

The IOC could also investigate any team officials, coaches or trainers involved in the badminton case.

“The international federation took the right action in disqualifying the athletes and definitely that was the way to go,” Rogge said.

Rogge had been at the badminton venue Tuesday but left shortly before the drama unfolded.

The doubles teams — the top-seeded pair from China, two pairs from South Korea and one from Indonesia — conceded points in an apparent attempt to lose their round-robin matches to secure a more favourable spot in the next round. Fans booed when it become clear they were trying to lose.

The Badminton World Federation found the players guilty of not giving their best efforts and “conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport.”

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

— The Associated Press