During the ongoing London Olympic Games, a dark shadow has been cast on a number of events due to controversial judgment calls. Many of these calls have resulted in medal winners having to swap places on the stand.
These controversial calls have irrated a great many sports fans. It is understandable for judges to have their separate individual or even controversial judgments and in some cases some of the rules are simply not yet as clear-cut as they should be. However, the fans argued, if referee calls are based on cultural prejudice or seem to be a tad too much in favor of one side over the other, these practices are going against the Olympic spirit. The NBA's declaration, "Let the players decide the games," might be a good fit for the Olympic Games.
The following are the top 10 most controversial calls during the 2012 London Olympic Games.
South Korean team in women's hockey
South Korean team in women's hockey [AP Photo] |
In the women's hockey event, the South Korean team met the Dutch, the defending champion, in Pool A. The Netherlands defeated South Korea by 3-2 and moved onto the semi-finals, while South Korea was eliminated.
When the second half of the match began, the Dutch were leading by 3-1. A South Korean striker was then sent off the field after a physical confrontation with a Dutch defense player. This triggered strong dissatisfaction from the South Korean team, whose protests were rejected.
Being one man down, South Korea got a goal in 6 minutes before the end, but still lost the match.