Shocking Revelation: Chinese shuttler alleges she was ordered to lose Olympic SF

New Delhi, Aug 27 : Former badminton world number one China’s Ye Zhaoying in a shocking revelation has claimed that she was ordered to lose her women’s singles semifinal against compatriot Gong Zhichao at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.

“They told me it was important that no one could see that I was losing deliberately,” Zhaoying was quoted as saying by TV 2 Sport.

Zhaoying was to play her compatriot, Gong Zhichao, in the first semifinal, while Dai Yun, also from China, and Camilla Martin of Denmark were scheduled to play later on the same day.

“No one knew whether Camilla would go on to the final, and they had to decide which of us was most likely to beat Camilla in the final. They decided that I had to lose to Gong Zhichao,” Zhaoying revealed.

“They told me it was important that no one could see that I was losing deliberately. It was also important that I didn’t tire Gong Zhichao, so I had to lose in two straight sets. The match couldn’t go to three sets because Zhichao would become too exhausted.

It was simply an order. Absolutely no doubt about it. They came to tell me that I had to lose, and they would give me the same reward of a EUR 21,500 bonus as the winner of the gold medal. There was nothing more to it. But I didn’t want the money. I wanted the honour of the title,” Zhaoying said.

The move to force Zhaoying to lose the semifinal against Zhichao worked out well for the as the latter went on to become the Olympic champion by beating Martin.

According to the 48-year-old Zhaoying, she was a victim of a Chinese Olympic conspiracy against the Denmark’s Camilla Martin in China’s pursuit of a gold medal.

“You feel so powerless, because it’s just you against the whole system. The Olympic Games are almost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an athlete, and it feels so desperately tragic when you have to throw it all away. But I’m just one person, and there was nothing I could do against the system,” she further said.

But Zhaoying went on to win her only Olympic medal after beating the compatriot Zhichao in the bronze medal playoff.