Badminton Players Back in SKorea

Four South Korean badminton players have returned home after their disqualification from the Olympics for trying to lose matches.

The two women's doubles pairs arrived Saturday in Incheon International Airport and left through undesignated gates as they tried to avoid media. The athletes did not comment.

AP

Thomas Lund, chief operating officer of the... View Full Caption

Thomas Lund, chief operating officer of the Badminton World Federation, speaks during a news conference about the decision to punished eight players competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics, at Wembley Arena, the Olympic venue for the Badminton competition on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, in London. Four doubles teams were disqualified from the London Games earlier in the day after trying to lose matches Tuesday evening to receive a more favorable place in the tournament. The Badminton World Federation punished the eight players after investigating two teams from South Korea and one each from China and Indonesia. South Korea and Indonesia appealed, but China accepted the federation's decision. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Close

Two other doubles teams, from China and Indonesia, were also disqualified this week for deliberately playing poorly to secure a more favorable draw in the next round.

The International Olympic Committee is demanding further investigation by national Olympic committees. South Korea's Olympic delegation ordered the four players and their coach to return home, saying they violated the Olympic spirit of fair play and sportsmanship.