Disciplinary proceedings are launched after eight badminton players, including two world champions, are accused of deliberately missing shots to secure a better draw later in the Olympic tournament.
The World Badminton Federation charged the women with "not using one's best efforts to win a match" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport" after four women's doubles pairs appeared to be throwing their games.
The disciplinary hearing is being held on Wednesday morning and a decision - which could include expelling the teams - is expected later. All four pairs are scheduled to play their quarter-finals tonight.
The badminton players involved are China's world champions Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang, Indonesia's Greysia Polii and Meiliana Jauhari and South Korean pairs Jung Kyung-eun and Kim Ha-na, and Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min Jung.
Players booed
Sung Han-kook, South Korea's head coach, said his two pairings attempted to throw their matches against China's world champions and the Indonesians in retaliation after the Chinese team instigated the situation.
He said the Chinese deliberately tried to throw the first of the tainted matches to ensure their leading duo of Yu and Wang would not meet the country's number two pair until the gold medal decider.
The players were booed when serves appeared to be deliberately hit into the net or hit wide. Yu claimed the duo had wanted to preserve energy for the finals.
China "opposes any behaviour or acts which contravene this spirit or sports morality for any reason or in any form," China's state news agency Xinhua reported citing an unnamed spokesman. The Chinese delegation has launched its own investigation.
While there is no suggestion of betting associated with the badminton matches, it is certainly not the first time a top athlete has been accused of match fixing. Parkistani cricketers were found guilty of conspiring to cheat and accept corrupt payments in November. The first country cricketer in England to be prosecuted for spot-fixing was sentenced to four months in prison in February after pleading guilty to accepting a corrupt payment.
Match farce
The farce started with Chinese top seeds Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang seemingly showing no interest in beating their opponents to finish top of Group A. If the pair lost the match, that meant they would avoid playing second seeds Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei at least until the final.
While referee Thorsten Berg warned the players, the Koreans went on to win 21-14 21-11.
China's coach Li Yongbo denied anything was amiss.
"This is nothing. It was just a game," Li told Reuters before he chuckled and walked away.
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