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That was certainly a pathetic display of sportsmanship. I understand his anger but no one said the rules were fair. Thank God no one from our team has disgraced us in this manner. -
He's definitely doing a huge favor to all the other witless thugs practicing TKD.
Really, someone should've kinghit him in the face to even things out.Comment
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This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by a third party. Dang!!Comment
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You were right cuban even castro got out of his rocking chair and stood up for him. Crazy, they should be bannedOriginally posted by bigboywasim View Post
Published - Aug 25 2008 01:36PM EDT | AP
Fidel Castro on Monday defended the Cuban taekwondo athlete who kicked a referee in the face at the Beijing Olympics, saying Angel Matos was rightfully indignant over his disqualification from the bronze-medal match.
Taekwondo officials want Matos and his coach banned for life from the sport. But Castro expressed "our total solidarity" for both Matos and his coach Leudis Gonzalez.
Matos was winning 3-2 in the second round when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan's Arman Chilmanov, and was disqualified for taking more than his one minute of injury time.
Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge and then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden, who needed stiches to repair his lip. Matos then spat on the floor and was escorted out.
Taekwondo officials called Matos' behavior an insult to the Olympic vision. Matos' coach countered that the match was fixed and accused the Kazakhs of offering him money.
Castro said the alleged bribery attempt gave Matos good reason to expect the judges to treat him unfairly.
"They had tried to buy his own coach," Castro wrote in his essay published in state media. "He could not contain himself."
Cuba is accustomed to winning golds in boxing, but settled this year for four silver and four bronze medals. Overall, Cuba took home only two golds, down from nine in Athens four years ago.
"I saw when the judges blatantly stole fights from two Cuban boxers in the semifinals," Castro wrote. "Our fighters ... had hopes of winning, despite the judges, but it was useless. They were condemned beforehand."
The ailing, 82-year-old ex-president also noted that defections have taken their toll, blaming "the repugnant mercenary actions" of promoters who lure
Cuban boxers off the island with lucrative contracts. And Castro hinted that big changes could be in order for Cuban sports, pledging a serious review of "every discipline, every human and material resource that we dedicate to sport."
"Cuba has never bought an athlete or judge," Castro wrote, adding that Cubans need to begin preparing now for London in 2012. "There will be European chauvinism, judge corruption, buying of brawn and brains ... and a strong dose of racism," he predicted.Comment
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Ok I have a question, why didn't the ref defend himself?Comment
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Here's a video of it still up:
Olympic TKD guy kicks ref in face
And he got himself banned for life, too. Smooth, real smooth.Comment
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If I saw it correctly the ref didn't fall?Comment
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Didn't look like it. News said he needed stitches, though.Comment
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That is very poor sportsmanship .. Glad he has been banned for life .. That shit is not called for ..Comment
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He should face criminal charges.Comment
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There should be a fourth medal for times like these.
This sport would probably survive as an olympic event if it was a bit more brutal.Comment
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Use of hands would be a start IMO.Comment
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Neither he, nor the judges saw it coming, and I'm sure they didn't expect this type of behavior. When you're supposed to be dealing with players at the elite level, you don't expect someone to stoop that low....if he's smart, he'll hit back at the Cuban in the wallet where it really counts.Originally posted by IPON View PostComment
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Cuban TKD Olympian Attacks Ref
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