8 disqualified over badminton fix scandal

LONDON: Eight players involved in a match-fixing scandal at the Olympic badminton tournament have been disqualified from the Games, a senior source with knowledge of the case told AFP on Wednesday.

The eight players -- four from South Korea, two from Indonesia and two from China -- were disqualified following a disciplinary hearing of the Badminton World Federation, the source told AFP.

"They have been disqualified from the Olympics," said the source.

The eight are China's Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli, South Korea's Ha Jung-Eun and Kim Min-Jung as well as Jung Kyung-Eun and Kim Ha-Na as well as Indonesian pair Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii.

All eight had 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".

Angry spectators jeered and booed the players on Tuesday after they appeared to deliberately serve into the net, or hit the shuttlecock long or wide.

They were allegedly attempting to manipulate the final standings in the first-round group stage, with pairs who had already qualified apparently wanting to lose to secure a favourable draw in the next round.