so there has been a lot of guesses about this. it looks like the Chinese themselves have an internal agreement. if they faces their own team, then who loses the first set will concede the game. we have seen some vigorous first set battle and then the next set was complete non-competitive. the reason for this is obvious. let the winner be determined in one game, and then the winner will conserve energy for later round by not having to play two more hard games. the IBF Referees however are not dumb, they have starting to notice this trend: Referee to examine Chinese doubles match Keralanext.com 2-August-2003 BIRMINGHAM: Chinese players were under the microscope at the world badminton championships on Friday after a women's doubles pairing bowed out to compatriots in the quarter-finals. There were concerns Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen did not make an effort to contest the second game against their Chinese team mates and reigning champions Gao Ling and Huang Sui. Gao and Huang took the first game 15-11 in a fairly even tussle and then led 10-2. From that point there seemed to be a lack of urgency and the titleholders wrapped up the match 15-11 15-3. The first game lasted 45 minutes but the second just 11. Tournament referee Henry Boon Kong Ee of Singapore said: "I will talk to the chief executive (of the International Badminton Federation) and hopefully they can do something about it. They (the players) had better buck up." "I cannot at this stage tell whether we have seen the complete match." Ee said he accepted the second set might not have been as competitive as the first in front of a paying public, adding "I will examine (the game).I will ask the umpire." The referee said he would probably also meet the technical committee at the tournament after making a report "so I can tell them verbally." The winners are seeded three this year to retain the title they won in Seville in 2001. Friday's beaten quarter-finalists were seeded five.
Is that the only match making in WC? How about other matches? e.g. the Hashim brothers clash. According to some observers, Hafiz did not gave his best in the match!
the Chinese needs to take more acting class then.... they must have made it very obvious. i believe there is a clause in the IBF rules that said non-competitiveness is not allowed. and the Chinese can possibly be fined as a result. i remember another case a couple of years ago. cannot remember the details.
I think it nonsensical to consider what Chinese team did in WC under the new format of draw accepted by the IBF in 2002. If the IBF really wants to deal with this matter, I think, it should deal with "analog" in SC and T&UC and even in China Open 2002 where two Peters from Denmark did the same things at first. In individual competitions the IBF can stop these things by restoring old format of draw which considers the nationalities of players/pairs when draws are be done. In team events the IBF has already a new format for T&UC finals and I think it will work very well. I hope this format can be applied in SC competition in the future.
Lets suppose Bao CL did try his hardest, would he have for sure been able to beat Xia? Xia is no rookie to this type of high level game and since the two probably train together along with other national MS players, they both know each other's game well. Xia however, has the upper hand in experience and mental strength. Personally, IMHO, he could have beaten the more naturally skilled and talented Bao if they went at it all out. But the scoreline may just be the opposite in the next year(s)??
Yes Xia can defintely beat Bao in an all out slugfest, but what an anticlimax it has been...especially for a semi final at the World Championchips.
I've just been to watch the WC qtrs and semis at birmingham. It was clear that in the chinese matches only the first set was competitive. Match fixing has been the case for years at the All ENgland, I think the fuss is because it was so blatant this time. The womens doubles "match" was appalling in the second end, and when that is the only match on court the knowledgable part of the crowd grew hostile. In the singles matches it was very obvious that in the second end there was a big drop in intensity and effort, many return of serve or serve errors and strange body language (I'm losing in the world cup but don't care). Clearly the cumulative effect of matches over the week decides the winner, as can be seen by the poor korean singles performance in the semi, so this sort of match fixing gives a big advantage. I don't know how enforceable the "competitiveness" rules are, I guess the only real answer is for the other countries to break up the chinese monopoly!!
Most people who attended or watched, concur. Check the worldbadminton version: http://195.102.4.163:81/Portal/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=10&ItemID=1271 After Bao Lost, he was just walking around the concourse, shopping for souvenirs!
why is Bao shopping ? thought he would be getting his "reward" from Xia later on...... If matches are played out this way in WC or any other tournaments, what a bloody disgrace !! Well, IBF can do something about it. What about "hefty" fine imposed on the nation's badminton authorities ? Any supporters out there care to comments ?
"bullshit!" - Li here is more reporting from StarOnline: IBF not taking action against the Chinese OFFICIALS have, for now, ruled out action against the Chinese team at the World Championships over a women’s doubles quarter-final which critics have viewed as uncompetitive. Tournament referee Henry Boon Kong Ee of Singapore said after Friday’s game he would be speaking to the match umpire and the International Badminton Federation (IBF) chief executive, adding that the players “had better buck up”. An IBF spokeswoman said yesterday no action would be taken during the tournament, which ends today, but referee Kong Ee would be reporting later to the federation’s technical committee. Eyebrows had been raised in the match between reigning champions Gao Ling and Huang Sui and their Chinese teammates Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen. Gao Ling and Huang Sui took the first game 15-11 in a fairly even tussle and then led 10-2. From that point, dispirited or otherwise, there seemed to be a lack of urgency and the title-holders wrapped up the match 15-11, 15-3. The first game lasted 45 minutes, but the second just 11. An IBF statute deals with “failure to use best efforts” but China’s coach Li Yongbo strongly rejected such a suggestion, telling the South China Morning Post: “It’s bullshit.” But Stephen Baddeley, chief executive of tournament organisers the Badminton Association of England (BAE), said such an episode was “extremely damaging to the promotion of the sport”. He added: “I sincerely hope the Chinese association will look into the situation.” Gao Ling and Huang Sui are seeded three this year to retain the title they won in Seville in 2001. Friday’s beaten quarter-finalists were seeded five. – Reuters
more news.. reporter Peh Shing Huei from The Straits Times seems to have more info than anybody else in the press. i wonder how the report came about with the exclusive information.... Win one, win all Controversy at World Badminton Championships, as China dictate: When two Chinese shuttlers meet, whoever loses the first game must concede the second By Peh Shing Huei IN BIRMINGHAM AFTER losing the first game against compatriot Gong Ruina in yesterday's semi-finals, China's Zhou Mi knew she was out of the World Badminton Championships. The second game was academic. The All-England champion was brushed aside 2-11, 4-11 by defending champion Gong, and became the latest victim of the Chinese team's controversial internal ruling in Birmingham: When two Chinese shuttlers meet, whoever loses the first game must concede the second. But, as the Chinese team reeled from men's world No 1 Chen Hong's shock defeat by South Korean Shon Seung Mo in the quarter-finals early yesterday morning, they vehemently denied the existence of such a match-fixing policy. Chinese head coach Li Yongbo told the South China Morning Post: 'Bull****. How can anyone suggest this? Whoever has such an opinion is mentally ill.' But he was singing a different tune on Thursday. After Lin Dan's 10-15, 3-15 defeat by compatriot Xia Xuanze in the third round, the Chinese media asked Li if the match had been fixed. He replied: 'One game is enough. If the matches are too intensive, both players will be tired. Then how can the winner continue to compete?' The former world doubles champion added: 'It's okay for others to know about this.' A tearful Lin, 20, confirmed the internal ruling: Whoever loses the first game loses the match, and must throw the second game. He said: 'I prepared so long for this event and it really pains me to have everything decided in just one game. After losing the first game, I really didn't want to play the second.' He went through the motions in the second game, and lost 3-15 in under 10 minutes. He said: 'I have no idea how to play a one-game match. The strategy is totally different. If there were two or three games, at least I can fight back.' China's match-fixing policy grabbed the attention of the organisers on Friday after women's doubles pair Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen lost 11-15, 3-15 to team-mates Gao Ling and Huang Sui. Gao and Huang needed 45 minutes to win the first game 15-11. They used just 11 minutes for the second game. Tournament referee Henry Ee of Singapore said that he will interview Li, the umpire, and International Badminton Federation chief executive Neil Cameron, before making a report to the federation's technical committee. Even though an IBF statute deals with 'failure to use best efforts', the IBF has ruled out any action against the Chinese for now. That brought about accusations of double standards, as the IBF had disqualified two Russians for wearing the wrong shirts earlier last week. This Chinese ruling of 'win one, win all' is predicated on having their players take on opponents in the best possible physical conditions. And, as results from the past few days showed, shuttlers who played marathon matches were usually easy meat the next day. After battling and then beating Chen 5-15, 17-14, 15-9 in 84 minutes in the quarter-finals, Shon was a lame duck against Malaysia's Wong Choong Hann in the semi-finals yesterday. Wong became the first Malaysian to reach a World Championships final by thrashing the Korean 15-4, 15-5. He had earlier taken apart Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro 15-8, 15-5 in the last eight. Sony, exhausted by his earlier game with Singapore's Ronald Susilo, could not threaten Wong with his usual attacking prowess. Similarly, without Lin's second-game surrender, fifth seed Xia would have found it hard to oust Denmark's second seed Kenneth Jonassen in the quarter-finals yesterday morning. He needed 95 minutes to beat the Dane 17-14, 12-15, 15-10. Denmark's former Olympic champion Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen understands but disapproves of the Chinese policy. He said: 'It would be stupid of them not to, but morally, it is wrong. I understand their thinking, but this is a show as well. Spectators are buying tickets and expect to be entertained.' In fact, the Chinese are not the only ones to be accused of fixing matches. There were also whispers that Malaysia's Hafiz Hashim gave up too easily when he lost to elder brother Roslin 8-15, 11-15 in the second round. But Hafiz denied that he threw the match. Today's women's singles final will be another all-Chinese clash, with Gong up against second seed Zhang Ning. Zhang beat third seed Mia Audina Tjiptawan of Holland 11-7, 11-0 yesterday. She had beaten Camilla Martin of Denmark 11-6, 11-0 in the quarter-finals. According to a source who declined to be named, the 'one-game winner' policy will not apply in finals. The men's singles will have Wong up against former All-England champion Xia. The Chinese whacked fellow-countryman Bao Chunlai 15-11, 15-7 in the semi-finals. It took 45 minutes, and not surprisingly, the winner was the one who took the first game. But of course...
hmmm..... I wonder how that Singapore reporter gets that kind of information. If it's false, can China sue the reporter for defamation? But it seems to be true though.....
I noticed some Chinese speaking people, were asking Lin Dan and Bao Chun Lai questions outside...Lin Dan seemed to answer a few questions, but Bao Chun Lai seemed to reluctantly shrug them off. I don't understand what they were saying tho...but the body language looked like Lin Dan was getting something off his chest (Waving arms about, raised voice) , and Bao Chun Lai a bit down, but holding back the tears (Head down, eyes keep blinking and feet kicking the ground). It also looks like Bao Chun Lai and Lin Dan are really good mates too...as Lin Dan had his hand behind Bao's back, probably consoling him, after being ***** by the Chinese one win, win all policy...
i think it obvious, even chinese players admitted of the one game policy although not directly to the officials. I have same opinion as Paul E Larson, it isnt fair to the spectators athough all the chinese coach had done is logical. The best solution is not fine the players or the country but have the ibf come up with better draws. If the chineses dominate the semi and up, ie no more other competitors (DEN, MAL, INA, KOR) i'm sure the chinese will go all out against their team mates.
It's the nature of the organisation of the game, unfortunately. Unlike tennis, badminton players are under their associations much more strongly. Not trying in a game can be seen more commonly in badminton. There has been occasions where pairs have been fined. I think Kim/Ra against maybe Archer/Goode in one WGPF final (around 1999). Why is Lin more outspoken? Is it becuase of army pride? He represents the Chinese army (or something like that) and honour is very important to them. Peter Rasmussen withdrew from the China Open when due to face Peter Gade if my memory is correct. Well, the National team coach may get fired if the players are not successful - so if they tire themselves by battling among themselves, it does the coach no favours, and hurts your own country's or team's success.
nod, of the two evils, i would side on the one win policy. Why? because if players (any countries) are exhausted going into the final, the final match wont be exciting to watch anyway. In many tournaments i had watched in canada, i found the semi to be more exciting and grueling to watch, while the finals are usually limp matches of tired and wore out combatants, or so one sided because one player got into the final easy from one ladder while the other finalist was bushed. I have seen some wore out finalist looking worst than some qtr finalist.
Scenario What happens if the draws are made as people suggest, the same countries cannot play each other in the early stages, if China continue to dominate the game as everyone fears then the "dodgy" matches will happen earlier on in the competitions because of the draw, ensuring that the teams do not meat early on mean that they will meat in the second and third rounds.(of course assuming that they beat their opposition in the first and second rounds) What are your thoughts on this
