Taekwondo Federation Wants to Ban Cuban
From the Associated Press:
Cuba's Angel Matos deliberately kicked a referee square in the face after he was disqualified in a bronze-medal match, prompting the World Taekwondo Federation to recommend he be banned for life.
"We didn't expect anything like what you have witnessed to occur," said WTF secretary general Yang Jin-suk. "I am at a loss for words."
Yang also recommended Matos' coach be banned.
(Earlier, we reported that the ban was already in place. The latest wire reports now read "Although the arena announcer said Matos and his coach were banned effective immediately, Yang said due process must be followed before officially banning the two. ")
More highlights from the Associated Press report:
Matos was winning 3-2, with 1:02 left in the second round, when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan's Arman Chilmanov. Matos was sitting there, awaiting medical attention, when he was disqualified for taking too much injury time.
Fighters get one minute, and Matos was disqualified when his time ran out.
Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge, then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden, who will require stitches in his lip. Matos spat on the floor and was escorted out.
"This is an insult to the Olympic vision, an insult to the spirit of taekwondo and, in my opinion, an insult to mankind," Yang said.
Matos' coach was unapologetic.
"He was too strict," Leudis Gonzalez said, referring to the decision to disqualify Matos.
Afterward, he charged the match was fixed, accusing the Kazakhs of offering him money.
"He was too strict," Gonzalez said, referring to the decision to disqualify Matos. Afterward, he charged the match was fixed, accusing the Kazakhs of offering him money.
"This is a strong violation of the spirit of taekwondo and the Olympic Games. The sanctions are the following and are effective immediately: Lifetime ban of the coach and athlete in all championships sanctioned by the (World Taekwondo Federation) and at the same time, all records of this athlete at the Beijing Games will immediately be erased," said the announcer, reading a WTF release.
Matos won the gold medal in this division at the 2000 Sydney Games, dedicating the victory to his mother, who died on the day of the opening ceremony. At the 2004 Athens Games, he finished 11th.
Matos' tantrum followed a day of confusion on the mats.
Earlier Saturday, China's double gold medalist Chen Zhong crashed out in the quarterfinals after initially being declared the winner. It was the first time a match result had been overturned since taekwondo became an official Olympic sport in 1990.
By
Tracee Hamilton
|
August 23, 2008; 3:10 PM ET
| Category:
Taekwondo
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Posted by: penguinsix | August 23, 2008 11:13 AM
This cuban is a jerk
Posted by: bob | August 23, 2008 11:19 AM
Nice move but this is not an attack martial art, it is for defense if attacked. I don't think the referee attacked this banana dictatorship idiot.
Posted by: Just a Mention | August 23, 2008 11:42 AM
Why are sports like this in the olympics anyway?
Next they'll say there's even BMX racing.....
Posted by: Ian Sankey | August 23, 2008 11:42 AM
That the coach got banned for any amount of time is rediculous.
And that french ice skating judge is allowed to work the Olympics?
The IOC is full of corrupt Europeans.
Posted by: Hank | August 23, 2008 11:51 AM
While the Cubans behaviour was aoutrageous,
I don't understand if you are injured and awaiting medical attention you only get so much time? Shouldn't there always be readily available medical attention at an Olympics??
Posted by: Tessa | August 23, 2008 12:20 PM
I hope Fidel castrates this guy AND his coach. Absolute unsportsmanlike behavior...the arrogant ****!!!!!!!!!!
This also serves as a good lesson to all those sportsmen out there... fair or not, it's all in the game. Deal with it and walk out with your head held high....
Posted by: Shez | August 23, 2008 12:25 PM
Dude, what an awful way to completely lose it, literally and figuratively. So much for not perpetuating negative opinions of your communist nation.
Posted by: BWIL | August 23, 2008 12:55 PM
It was awesome should have punched him
ala Chuck Liddel
Posted by: ade jimoh | August 23, 2008 1:08 PM
Dana White just signed him
Posted by: ringsidemike | August 23, 2008 2:21 PM
Suprise, Suprise...
Posted by: dumbfounder | August 23, 2008 3:16 PM
Hank, the WTF is not the IOC. The WTF don't take crap from
any one.
Posted by: Killroy | August 23, 2008 4:16 PM
Doesn't say what the nature of Matos's supposed injury was, but I'm guessing it wasn't his leg or foot...
Posted by: Jaybob | August 23, 2008 4:32 PM
Was this guy competing for Cuba or Berzerkistan?
Posted by: duke | August 23, 2008 5:40 PM
Just watched the clip again, the Cuban was very stupid. However, the official was being what in the UK we'd call a jobs-worth, just too petty for words. The Cuban kicked to the other guy's knee and hurt his foot. He took 2 seconds over the minuite and was disqualified (remember, they do have a system of point penalties that the ref could have used instead, the Cuban was 1 point up at this stage). The Cuban and his coach then went nuts. Why didn't they just appeal? One decision had been overturned that day, I think this one would have been overturned as well, if they had kept their cool. The Cubans should have learnt from the 2 wronged GB fighters.
Posted by: Simon | August 23, 2008 7:40 PM
At first I didn't understand why the coach is also facing a possible ban. After reading his response to the disqualification (the ref was too strict = following the rules, so it's OK to kick him in the face???), it makes more sense.
Matos is a disgrace to his country, to Taekwondo, and to the Olympics.
Posted by: Bruce | August 23, 2008 9:37 PM
Maybe he can get a job as Tonya Harding's body guard.
Posted by: reader | August 23, 2008 10:45 PM
wtf....lol
Posted by: Weojdkasd | August 24, 2008 1:26 AM
I can understand them banning Matos, but the coach shouldnt be held accountable for the actions of another. Why should the coach have to apologise for Matos. It's like expecting a teacher to apologise if a student decides to go on a killing spree. Pointless.
Posted by: Wayne | August 24, 2008 1:42 AM
While the Cubans behaviour was aoutrageous,
I don't understand if you are injured and awaiting medical attention you only get so much time? Shouldn't there always be readily available medical attention at an Olympics??
Posted by: Tessa | August 23, 2008 12:20 PM
++++++++++++++++
Rules in any game are put there to accommodate the MOST people, not to accommodate individuals. There's not enough time for that, outside of their allotted time.
Another example, but one that only painful for a real Russian athlete/gymnast:
The girl ran to toward the vault...For whatever reason, she didn't vault; but she didn't run around it, either. She went up to the vault, touching it, and then stopped.
She got a zero (out of around 15 points), dropping the Russian team from medal contention to last place.
She cried and it's heartbreaking; but rules are rules!
Athletes who are violent like this guy from Cuba and his coach must be banned from such prestigious forums. The guys behaved like a thug, a common criminal, when the referee had to enforce rules as dictated by the books.
Almost all of these high competitive sports' actions take place in mere in seconds or fractions of seconds; judges and referees will make mistakes. But to kick a referee in the face ---- there is just no valid of any kind for such criminal behavior. Hopefully the sue him for criminality.
I don't think most decent Cubans would tolerate such a criminal in their midst, as Cuba is one of the most powerful and most respected sporting powerhouses in the world. Don't allow such a criminal person to infect your sports...
Posted by: Anonymous | August 24, 2008 2:00 AM
that's the funniest thing I've ever seen. I saw a pic of the guy kicking the ref and seriously I coulnt help laughing !
Posted by: Tony S | August 24, 2008 4:23 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
want to bet this is the last year for this sport