The Shame Game: Who’s to Blame for Chinese Badminton Player Expulsion?

The Shame Game: Who’s to Blame for Chinese Badminton Player Expulsion?
Aug 05, 2012 By eChinacities.com

Editor's Note: In recent Olympic news, the Chinese number one badminton pair, Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang, was disqualified for failing to use their full effort while competing (in other words, they tried to lose on purpose). While the coach, players, and certain Chinese internet commentators blame the loophole resulting from a new round-robin style of elimination, many believe that the competitors' behavior violates a sanctified "Olympic spirit" that is at the heart of these competitions and that the players and related individuals deserve the punishment. Survey results from a questionnaire on Ifeng.com also reveal how public opinion is split between blaming the athletes and the World Badminton Association for allowing such events to occur.

Every four years when the Olympics roll around, discussions about doping and other illegal measures used by athletes to win make the rounds. However, it's rare that we hear of someone losing purposely to win later.  Earlier this week, China's star badminton pair, Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli, was disqualified, along with two Korean pairs and one Indonesian pair, for "not using one's best efforts to win". As investigations drill deeper into the scandal, the lines of responsibility and blame are becoming increasingly blurred. Some blame the introduction of a new round-robin format that allows weaker players to play in easier matchups in the following rounds. Another explanation points to the players attempting to save their energy for "more important" matches within the final competition. Whatever the true explanation may be, the event points to an increasingly obvious flaw with the Olympic Games, and that is the failure to provide an incentive to preserve the "Olympic spirit".

Official reactions and regrets

After suspicions were confirmed about the four female badminton pairs, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced that they would be charging all pairs 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 four pairs were already expelled by the BWF, however the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already made it clear that it will not be satisfied until further investigations are carried out. In the eyes of the IOC, the BWF has taken the first necessary step; however, further steps need to be taken in terms of investigating the coaches, officials, and other related athletes. 

The Chinese Olympic Committee has already been called upon to perform further investigations. It is almost certain that the China Olympic Committee will impose further sanctions after the final rounds of the Olympic Badminton Tournament. An insightful commentary piece in Xinhua stated that although the players did not break any rules, their conduct has damaged the ideals of sportsmanship and ethics, and that even if they won the gold medal, the methods used by the players to obtain the gold would still be criticized.

Lacking in sincerity, overflowing with blame

The BWF released a statement saying they would not punish the related coaches.  However, the Chinese Olympic Committee has the authority to punish both the players and the coaches, which many people are expecting the committee to do. Recently, coach Li Yongbo made a statement saying that he would take full responsibility for his actions as well as deliver a public apology to the fans and the Chinese nation. Li Yongbo did stay true to his word on both accounts; however, China's netizens have failed to find the sincerity in his apology and feel that he really should be apologizing to the players, not the public. 

Li Yongbo, Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli have given two very different explanations for their actions. The first explanation was that they were conserving their energy for the more important rounds nearing the finals. The other explanation is one that blames the BWF for the new round-robin style format that created such a loophole to be taken advantage of. Officials from the BWF has responded to these charges by stating that the new competition format has been met with high rates of success and is a good way to give weaker players a second opportunity to compete. Yu Yang's parents were also interviewed and appear to stand by their daughter one hundred percent. Yu Yang's mother made a statement earlier saying that she did not believe that her daughter was the originator of this strategy and blames the pressure from the games and the coach for Yu Yang's actions. 

Split opinions and an unclear motive

According to a survey on Ifeng.com, opinions concerning who should ultimately take responsibility and if the punishment was fair are somewhat divided. A little over 45% of voters believe that the athletes deserved to be eliminated from the competition for violating the spirit of the Olympic Games. However, almost 44% of voters agree that the BWF should be held responsible for allowing such a loophole to go unnoticed. As the investigation continues and more clues are relayed to the public about the severity of the punishment to be allotted, the idea of an inviolable Olympic spirit hold steadfast. In a globalized yet hugely divided world, the Olympic Games, for many, seems to be the beacon of light that is supposed to symbolize a shared spirit that must be protected at all costs. However, as the golden medal, national honor, and financial rewards continue to gleam and overshadow the spiritual motives, it may be harder to keep this spirit alive.

Ifeng.com Survey Questions

Who should take more responsibility for the badminton players eliminated from the competition?

1) Do you agree with the punishment accorded to the players?

- Agree, their actions violate the spirit of the Olympics, is unfair to the audience, and they should take responsibility for their actions

44.78%

286,344 Votes

- Agree, an unfair competition harms the Olympic program and the sport of badminton

3.42%

21,869 votes

- Do not agree, it was a rational use of the rules, they shouldn't have to take responsibility

26.48%

169,354 votes

- Do not agree, the rules were inappropriate, they shouldn't have to take responsibility

24%

153,483 votes 

- Unclear

1.31%

8,405 votes

2) Who/what is responsible for the results and penalties?

- The athletes: they played a bad, shallow match

2.1%

13,437 votes

- The coach: he ignored the spirit of the game just to win

32.73%

209,365 votes

- The Badminton World Federation: their new rules allowed for this type of loophole

44.21%

282,774 votes

- Hunger for gold: sports strategy is getting increasingly worse just for a gold medal

19.61%

125,440 votes

- Unclear

1.35%

8,659 votes

3) Do you support the athletes for using this strategy?

- Yes, it is all right to use tactics to win

22.35%

144,100 votes

- Yes, the current rules allowed for this loophole and even a game played with tactics is still a game well played

13.63%

87,898 votes

- Yes, conserving one's strength until the final battle is a tactic used before in games.

13.24%

85,350 votes

- No, an unfair game negatively impacts the spirit of the Olympics

30.21%

194,800 votes

- No, if you use strategy it should be in line with the idea of a fair game

10.46%

67,438 votes

- No, conserving your energy and playing a bad game are two separate instances

7.39%

47,644 votes

- Unclear

2.73%

17,584 votes

 

Source: ifeng.com
 

Related links
Survey: Young Chinese Netizens Express Surprising Political Opinions
Chinese Basketball Association: In the Air, Tongue Out
Foul Play: China's Football Infested by Corruption Through and Through

Warning:The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Chinese disqualified badminton pair survey on Chinese badminton pair Olympic badminton scandal survey

14 Comments

All comments are subject to moderation by eChinacities.com staff. Because we wish to encourage healthy and productive dialogue we ask that all comments remain polite, free of profanity or name calling, and relevant to the original post and subsequent discussion. Comments will not be deleted because of the viewpoints they express, only if the mode of expression itself is inappropriate.

flip

China's former basketball star Yao Ming told the official Xinhua news agency: "If a gold medal is allowed to surpass our values, then I can only say that our values are inferior to the gold medal."
How oft do I not hear.........we are very traditional, "neck-deep" in our traditions?
no comment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aug 07, 2012 18:20 Report Abuse

mattsm84

You cheat you fail. Actions have consequences.

Aug 07, 2012 06:11 Report Abuse

mattsm84

Lighten up, it an internet comment board. If you're going to accuse somebody of peadophila you had better be ready to have somebody call you a name.

Aug 07, 2012 20:54 Report Abuse

FruitIsGood

It seems to me that if you have trained and practiced to compete for your country, you should show the world that you are the best in the world (not snake your way out of harder matches to get the gold). People pay to watch these matches to see world champions play at their best. To see any less should be punishable. If I was an athlete ranked as the best, I would want to play against the one who is ranked 2nd. I would want to corroborate why I was ranked ahead of them. That's what the olympics should be. Having a round robin setup for badminton should not change any of that.

Aug 06, 2012 18:39 Report Abuse

mattsm84

You can do a little digging, but the quotes the article mentions about not using one's best ability and behaving in a way that is harmful to the sport are from sections 4.5 and 4.16 of the Badminton World Federation players' code.

Aug 06, 2012 06:12 Report Abuse

woody

Ah just as I thought. The concept of ethics would be too hard for most locals to grasp.

Aug 05, 2012 22:53 Report Abuse

Hugh G Rection

Yes there is a rule in the rules of Badminton that says players must at all times make their best effort. That was the rule they were punished for breaking.

Aug 05, 2012 23:35 Report Abuse

mattsm84

Anything to avoid accountability, huh?

Aug 06, 2012 00:16 Report Abuse

Anonymous

Yes it is double standard by IOC. The world badminton federation is to blame.

Aug 05, 2012 19:06 Report Abuse

mattsm84

On of my students told me something similar a few weeks ago. I caught him cheating on a test and he told me that he shouldn't have been punished because other students cheat as well. I wish I could have failed him twice.

Aug 05, 2012 23:09 Report Abuse

mattsm84

No, you've confused him for your whore mother. It's a shame that the john who fathered you had a dime in his pocket rather than nickle because you should have been a blow job.

Aug 06, 2012 04:49 Report Abuse

lokethebloke

It's not fair, but footballers have been doing it for donkies years.

Aug 05, 2012 14:10 Report Abuse

flip

fair or not fair........the world number 1 pair will have an unforgettable lesson?
And viaout the world's most prestigious sporting history .........they shall be remembered and dishonored as such!!!!!! what a pity u don't know they wrote a bad history even though they were very able to win all their matches.
whoever's decision that was.....must face serious consequences. just sorry for them that all their hard work and toil came to naught because of ETHICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aug 07, 2012 18:28 Report Abuse