A badminton scandal has swept over the London 2012 Olympics after eight female badminton doubles players were disqualified Wednesday for trying to lose matches to receive a more favorable place in the tournament.
The doubles teams -- the top-seeded pair from China, two pairs from South Korea and one from Indonesia -- were also set to have their accreditations removed by their national Olympic bodies and sent home.
One of the Chinese badminton athletes is apparently quitting the sport after she was one of eight players disqualified from the doubles tournament, according to the Associated Press.
A comment on a verified account for Yu Yang on the Tencent microblogging service late Wednesday read: ''This is my last game. Farewell Badminton World Federation. Farewell my dear badminton.''
Yu and Wang Xiaoli were one of four doubles teams which appeared to play poorly on purpose to secure a more favorable position in the next phase of the event.
"I will prove myself in future games," Wang said. "I pledge to play to my full strength in future games, in each competition, to build a new image of us among the audience in the future."
There has been no official report of Yu's retirement yet. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee wants team coaches, trainers or officials of the four doubles pairs to be punished if they encouraged or ordered the eight, now-disqualified players to lose intentionally.
Two teams from South Korea and another from Indonesia were disqualified from competition but allowed to stay at the games - a step lighter than expulsion, the penalty for positive drug tests. This was the first mass disqualification in Olympic history.
Chinese Olympic leaders also criticized its players' actions.
"The behavior by Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli on court violated the Olympics ideal and the spirit of fair play," the delegation said in a statement released to the Xinhua news agency. "The Chinese delegation feels distressed over this matter."
But the delegations of all eight players are facing action.
