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(Sports Focus) Draw can help avoid Olympic badminton scandal

Xinhua, May 13, 2015 Adjust font size:

A draw for the knockout stage could avoid match-throwing scandals like one in the London Olympics.

The draw conducted immediately after the conclusion of Sudirman Cup Group 1 matches on Wednesday, pitted China against Germany, Indonesia against Chinese Taipei, South Korea against Malaysia, and Denmark against Japan.

The quarter-finals will be staged on from Thursday and defending champions China will seek their sixth-straight victory in this team championships, which is held every two years.

It is not the first time that a draw between group and knockout stage is used in the Sudirman Cup, but this format was not adopted in London Olympics where eight women's doubles players were disqualified for trying to throw last-group matches to secure an easier draw in next round based on the old system.

When the scandal happened, the world badminton body was bombarded by reporters: Did the group play format used in London encourage game-fixing? According to the old format, the position of the teams in group stage competitions can decide their following opponents in next round.

But since this May, which saw the start of Rio Olympic qualification period, a change of rule was introduced by Badminton World Federation (BWF) for the 2016 Games.

"Each group in singles will contain a minimum of three players, and the group stages of the competition will be followed by a draw for the knockout stage," said the announcement from the BWF official website.

That means in Rio next year, the similar format in the Sudirman Cup will be used.

"I think probably that is progress from the London Olympics and I think that is good progress," Geraldine Brown, Vice-Chairman of BWF, told Xinhua on Wednesday.

"Because now, that would never happen again, will it? That was not good for the sport. So BWF may take measures to make sure it will not happen again. And then no body will know who will go against because it will be drawn. So that's best, isn't it?"

Proven success in both the Sudirman Cup and the other team championships - Thomas and Uber Cup, this format could be the fixed one for big tournaments including the Olympics in the future.

"It should have been done in London because it had already been done in the Sudirman Cup. But now it's fixed and it will be fine. It will be drawn after the rounds," she said. Endi