Badminton match throwing

[mudskipper]

A sensible strategy, or out of order?

I say disqualify them all!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19072677

[Mich the Tester]

A sensible strategy, or out of order?

Both. If you know you're through the group stages in a tournament, why knacker yourself trying to win an apparently meaningless game if you know you're getting a tough game within a couple of days? Is it really different to rugby or football teams resting their best players in the final pool game of a tournament? I've done that myself; it's up to the organisers to think of a format that doesn't encourage this kind of thing. I don't think it's morally right, but 'morally right' isn't really what you care about when trying to win an important tournament.

[mudskipper]

There's a difference between not playing 100% - not stretching for an on the edge shot etc, and deliberately serving into the net. As you say, tough one.

[Old Greg]

Stick them on a minibus to the local leisure centre and let them serve into the net until they get bored.

[MyUserName]

If there is no rule stating that they must make their best effort then they are not obliged to make their best effort.

[Mich the Tester]

It seems, as more news comes out, that 4 different pairs did the same thing and it's starting to stink of a conspiracy. That's a very different thing to not trying hard and if it's proven then it should be punished very harshly. I'm fine with sportspeople saving themselves for a tougher match, but agreeing with others to throw games is a different matter all together. Crap tournament format though, if something like that can be beneficial.

[Doggy Styles]

I watched Dickie and Bert the other night, where our double sculling gold medalists in 1948 did exactly this (lost on purpose) to get into the reperchage and avoid the half of the draw with the dreaded Danes.

Trouble is, several other strong crews did the same thing and our heroes ended up in the harder half of the draw anyway.

[Old Greg]

On second thoughts, they should all be forced to stay behind after class and compose an elegy to Olympic values in Classical Greek iambic pentameter under Boris' supervision. They can also play their next match in skins.

[Durbs]

Sounds acceptable to me, fair enough, its not great for those who had tickets to watch it but what they did is just part of the game.

The aim is to get gold for your country, If both your teams are going to meet in the semis you're reducing the odds of that by 50% so throwing a game to stop that is still part of the "game" IMO.

[TheBigD]

It's a fault with the way the badminton competition is structured. It should never be in the competitors best interest to lose a match.