London 2012: Badminton Scandal Tests Fans' Belief in Summer Games

Badminton at the 2012 Summer Olympics has been a travesty thus far, and that's an understatement.

Apparently throwing games has become the norm as eight players have been disqualified from the competition. As reported by the Associated Press via ESPN:

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Eight female badminton doubles players were disqualified Wednesday from the London Olympics after trying to lose matches to receive a more favorable place in the tournament.

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And this is in badminton.

Can you imagine the negative publicity had this been in a more watched sport such as swimming, gymnastics or basketball?

The scandal has blown up and rightfully so because the Olympics are about gamesmanship and sportsmanship above all else. 

Danish badminton player Hans-Kristian Vittinghus expressed his opinion on the situation:

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To everyone that asks: I think BWF made the correct decision! No doubt about that. Players broke the Players Code of Conduct - enough said!

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"— HK Vittinghus (@hkvittinghus) August 1, 2012"

Interestingly enough, everything that has unfolded can be traced back to the beginning stages of the competition. Back on July 27, according to the Daily Mail Online:

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The Badminton World Federation have apologized for changing their original playing schedule, which did not comply with their own regulations concerning group matches.

BWF regulations state the top-ranked player or pair in each group must play the lowest-ranked in the first match of a round-robin section. 

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Now to say that the schedule confusion is the sole factor for the current scandal isn't right, but it appears that it didn't help either. Would a scandal have occurred anyway had there not been a schedule mishap?

There's obviously no way of going back in time, so the athletes have no choice but to move forward. Still, no matter what the schedule of play or regulations, tossing games is simply wrong. The Olympics are a special time when the world can get together and unite in competition while remaining unbiased.

The future of the sport in the Summer Olympics can also be reasonably questioned. It's only been a medal competition (previously exhibition) since 1992 and this scandal will only reduce its appeal.

On the bright side, the International Olympic Committee may remain in good standing with the Badminton World Federation. Reverting back to the report from the Associated Press:

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"We applaud the federation for having taken swift and decisive action," International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams told the Associated Press. "Such behavior is incompatible with the Olympic values."

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"Olympic values." Mark Adams hit the sweet spot of the shuttlecock (or birdie) with that one. Regardless of the sport in the Olympic Games, we time and time again see athletes going all out against one another and presenting excellence in sportsmanship thereafter.

After all, what is the point of competing in the Olympics without trying? There is none because the Games are difficult enough to qualify for in the first place.

Die-hard badminton fans have every reason to be frustrated and the fair-weather fans now have a reason to not bother with the sport, which is unfortunate for a sport that needs as much positive exposure as it can get.

Follow John Rozum on Twitter.