Weibo volley for badminton farce

Combination photo shows officials speaking to players from China and South Korea (top), and players from South Korea and Indonesia during their women's doubles group stage badminton matches during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Wembley Arena in this July 31, 2012 file photo. [Photo/Agencies] Related story

@Guo Jingming (famous novelist):

I know little about sports, but isn't it up to the candidates themselves to rationally assign their strength? Couldn't they just spare for recovery as theyare already qualified? Must they spare no effort only to fight against their own teammates so early? Then what about those top swimmers who conserve energy and strength in the prelims as long as they have enough lead to get into finals? Can we also regard that they do ‘not using one’s best efforts to win a match’? That's just a strategy like Tian Ji used in ancient horse racing. I'm against this!

@Yu Qian (crosstalkcomedian):

It's not time for apology but to contend for our athletes. Negative competition? That's called strategy! It is properly used to maximize medal achievements in the rules. Why notthrow a sprat to catch a herring? Go to protest and stop blaming those on the front line!

@Ma Dingsheng (Phoenix TV commentator and host):

I don't see any fault in‘not using one’s best efforts to win a match’. Even Liu Xiang who has to go through prelims andquarter-finals, will not always spare no effort in each race, and that's stupid! But there is fault in Yu and Wang who lost so deliberately that infuriated billions. Who would boo if you sweat profuselyand count on each shot as if you really did?

@eagle-hunter：

Disqualifying so many shuttlers at a time can only make worse the following matches. Is the BWFa fascist dictatorship? They bare no mercy for the athletes and let them sacrifice for the unaccomplished rules! What a shame!

@tianchenzuotuzi:

They made such a rule to give more incentives to losing a game. Is that in the spirit of the Olympics? This is clearly the fault of a poorly-designed rule.

@baimosan:

Athletes are the scapegoats here. They were just doing what they were told to do. It must be the coach or other higher-ranking officials who made the strategy to ‘lose a game’. The athletes have done nothing wrong.

@jiandan–chb:

This is definitely a lesson for those officials in the Chinese Olympicteam to learn. Why do the South Koreans provide full support to their athletes and keep appealing? All that the Chinese officials know is to point fingers at our own athletes, which not only disappoints the athletes but all of us who are watching.