Disgraceful behaviour

Four years ago I behaved in a way that I never thought I would.  I booed at a sporting event.

Let me explain. 

Four years ago I won a pair of tickets to watch a session at the Olympics.  In my case it was an early round of badminton, a sport about which I knew next to nothing but it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the Olympics so I boned up and went to London expecting a good evening’s sport.  When we got to Wembley Arena we found the tickets I had won were front row courtside seats.  Brilliant.  We settled down and as always when top sportsmen and women are playing, the matches were exciting.

But soon the atmosphere changed.  There was anger in the air.  The Chinese and South Korean women’s doubles pairs were on court and playing so badly that even I, walking stick in hand, could have taken them on.  Neither pair wanted to win as that would have disadvantaged them in the next round.  The same thing happened with the match between the South Korean and Indonesian pairs.

The crowd (including me) reacted.  The referee came on.  All four pairs were eventually disqualified.  Their behaviour was detrimental to both the Olympics and badminton.

I think the Olympics are great.  I hope that everyone competing and watching in Rio is having a great time, and that the Olympic ideal of sportsmanship is honoured.