Badminton Olympic Scandal Exposes the Dark Side of Sports

by Anthony Caruso on August 6, 2012

Unfortunately, even the Olympics Games have a dark side. Like all sports, there is always a risk that some players will resort to cheating to gain a competitive advantage. In fact, prior to the London Games, the head of the International Olympic Committee characterized match fixing as the biggest threat to the integrity of the Olympics.

As we learned last week, badminton is no exception. Eight women badminton doubles players were disqualified from the London Olympics after they deliberately tried to lose to secure a better draw in the next round. The players, representing China, Indonesia and South Korea, deliberately hit shots out of bounds and served directly into the net.