Giant-killing Danes Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl stunned China's second-ranked pair in the semi-finals of the women's badminton doubles at the Olympics to end the Asian nation's 20-year stranglehold on the title.
Disgraced Chinese Yu Yang has decided to quit badminton while national officials have told their Olympic team leaders and disgraced players to make a public apology for throwing matches at the London Games.
Chinese officials have told their Olympic badminton team leader and disgraced players to make a public apology following the deliberate throwing of matches at the London Games, the Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.
Needing an outright win to book a place in the semi-finals, India squandered a two-goal lead and settled for a 2-2 draw against China to see their title defence go up in smoke in the Asia Cup hockey tournament in Kuantan, Malaysia on Tuesday. Skipper Sandeep Singh converted two of India's four penalty corners to put the side ahead but the Indian defence crumbled at crucial junctures to allow China escape with a draw.
China thumped minnows Thailand 13-0 while Bangladesh overcame Sri Lanka 3-2 at the Asia Cup.
Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap advanced to the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open, but it was H S Prannoy, who hogged the limelight on Thursday with a straight games demolition of world No. 2 Jan O Jorgensen in the men's singles.
World number one Saina Nehwal disposed off Nichaon Jindapon's challenge in straight games, but PV Sindhu crashed out of the Indonesian Open Super Series badminton tournament after a close first-round defeat, in Jakarta, on Wednesday. In the men's singles, both the Indians in the fray -- Parupalli Kashyap and Kidambi Srikanth -- advanced to the second round with contrasting victories.
Parupalli Kashyap surprised world No. 5 Son Wan Ho in straight games to enter the men's singles quarter-finals at the Indonesian Open Super Series, but Kidambi Srikanth bowed out after losing to a lower-ranked opponent, in Jakarta, on Thursday.
China shrugged off badminton's biggest Olympic scandal to sweep all five titles at London four years ago but the Asian super-power is trying to keep a lid on expectations of another bumper gold medal haul at the Rio de Janeiro Games. The peerless team that set up the 'Great Haul of China' in London will line up almost unchanged at Rio, anchored by men's singles great Lin Dan and women's champion Li Xuerui. So strong were the Chinese in 2012 that they swept the titles without the reigning world champion women's doubles pairing of Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang, who were expelled from the tournament in disgrace.
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