Thais suspended for fighting at Canada Open
Kuala Lumpur: The Badminton World Federation today banned Thai shuttler Bodin Issara for two years while his former doubles partner Maneepong Jongjit was hit with a three-month suspension over a violent brawl.Bodin and Maneepong were punished for an on-court fight in July, which unfolded during the Canada Open men's doubles final in front of shocked spectators.Video footage showed Bodin chasing Maneepong, his partner at last year's Olympics who then teamed up with Nipitphon Puangpuapech, onto a neighbouring court and dragging him to the ground.He then punched his prone countryman twice and appeared to try to stamp on him before being dragged away from 22-year-old Maneepong, who got up shirtless and was helped away."This decision by the BWF's Disciplinary Committee follows the two players' involvement in an altercation while competing against each other in the Men's Doubles final of last month's Yonex Canada Open," the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said in a statement."Both sanctions are effective from the date of the incident - Sunday 21 July - and the players have 21 days in which to appeal," it added.Bodin will forfeit the world-ranking points and prize money he earned from the event after the 22-year-old was found to have breached five sections of the BWF players' code of conduct.While tempers can fray during games it is rare for badminton players to fight on the court.Badminton is still reeling from a scandal at the Olympics when eight doubles players were banned for trying to lose group matches, in the hope of gaining a favourable quarter-final draw.Bodin and his partner, Pakkawat Vilailak, were disqualified from the Canada Open final after the fight.
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