Eight women badminton players were disqualified from the London Olympics' doubles event for throwing matches to get a favourable opponent. The pairs are: Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang of China; Greysia Polii and Meiliana Jauhari of Indonesia; Jung Kyung Eun and Kim Ha Na of South Korea; and Ha Jung Eun and Kim Min Jung, also of South Korea.
The Indians have also lodged a formal complaint in a similar incident but the disqualified players were not in the same group along with the Indian duo of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa. The complaint of the Indian management was, however, rejected by the organisers.
A source with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) decision. The South Korean badminton team told the media that they had received the BWF's official notice on the disqualification of its players and they would appeal against it. The Chinese World Champion duo of Wang and Yu and their South Korean rivals Jung and Kim were jeered and booed by the crowd on Tuesday after they hit serves into the net and striking easy shots long or wide.
The umpire and the referee warned all the four players, but the situation did not change. The Chinese women eventually lost 14-21, 11-21 and as a result they will not meet their compatriots until the final. The farce was repeated in the next game between South Korea's Ha and Kim and Indonesia's Jauhari and Polii. Both teams were also warned for deliberately trying to lose. London Olympic chief organiser Sebastian Coe described the incidents 'depressing', saying 'who wants to sit through something like that'.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said on Wednesday morning that the incidents were 'not acceptable'.
The Indians have also lodged a formal complaint in a similar incident but the disqualified players were not in the same group along with the Indian duo of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa. The complaint of the Indian management was, however, rejected by the organisers.
A source with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) decision. The South Korean badminton team told the media that they had received the BWF's official notice on the disqualification of its players and they would appeal against it. The Chinese World Champion duo of Wang and Yu and their South Korean rivals Jung and Kim were jeered and booed by the crowd on Tuesday after they hit serves into the net and striking easy shots long or wide.
The umpire and the referee warned all the four players, but the situation did not change. The Chinese women eventually lost 14-21, 11-21 and as a result they will not meet their compatriots until the final. The farce was repeated in the next game between South Korea's Ha and Kim and Indonesia's Jauhari and Polii. Both teams were also warned for deliberately trying to lose. London Olympic chief organiser Sebastian Coe described the incidents 'depressing', saying 'who wants to sit through something like that'.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said on Wednesday morning that the incidents were 'not acceptable'.