Badminton: S Korea lifts domestic bans on players

Ban lifted on the suspension of four players found guilty of deliberately underperforming during the London Olympics.

SEOUL: South Korea’s Olympic body has lifted the six-month domestic suspensions on four players found guilty of deliberately underperforming during the London Olympics, said officials. But Jung Kyung-Eun, Kim Ha-Na, Ha Jung-Eun and Kim Min-Jung remain suspended from South Korea’s national team for one year, the Korean Olympic Committee ruled. The Korea Badminton Association had initially suspended the players for two years and banned two coaches for life. After an appeal, the players’ bans were cut to six months while the coaches saw their lifetime suspension slashed to two years. Eight female badminton players, from South Korea, Indonesia and China were disqualified from the Games for trying to lose matches in order to secure a more favourable draw in the next phase. The scandal prompted Chinese badminton star Yu Yang to quit the sport.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2012.