Bodin and Maneepong banned for on-court badminton brawl

[Lite Beer]

BADMINTON
Bodin and Maneepong banned for on-court brawl
Lerpong Amsa-ngiam
The Nation

Bodin Issara, left, and Maneepong Jongjit shake hands at the Badminton Association of Thailand.

BANGKOK: -- The Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) yesterday banned Bodin Issara and Maneepong Jongjit for their disgraceful on-court brawl during the men's doubles final of the Canadian Open in Vancouver last Sunday.

After more than three hours of deliberations at the BAT headquarters, the executive board, led by president Charoen Wattanasin, decided to ban Bodin for two years and Maneepong for three months. The ban is effective from today and bars the players from participating in all local and international events.

Bodin was found guilty of physical assault while Maneepong was punished for verbally provoking his former partner. The BAT had decided to impose a lifetime ban on Bodin and hand a six-month ban to Maneepong but considering their services to the country and their expression of regret, the punishment was reduced.

"Everything we have done in 60 years collapsed just because of one person. In my six decades in this sport, I haven't seen a more violent case than this. I have been requested to be gentle in the measures but this is not about my feelings or others' feelings. It's a matter of the country's image," Charoen said.

Earlier, Bodin and Maneepong shook hands for the first time yesterday in a stage-managed show of unity. Whether their friendship and career would stay on the rails remains an uncertainty.

The Badminton Association of Thailand yesterday had called both the players for a reconciliation meeting in an attempt to find a solution to the violent incident during the Canadian Open men's doubles final where Bodin chased and physically assaulted his former partner.

The incident prompted the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to level charges on both parties. Bodin was charged under Sections 4.1 (inappropriate conduct); 4.14 (oral abuse); 4.15 (physical abuse); 4.16 (onsportsmanlike conduct) and 5.1 (conduct contrary to the integrity of the game), while Maneepong was charged under Sections 4.1 (inappropriate conduct); 4.14 (oral abuse) and 4.16 (unsportsmanlike conduct). They were also ordered to submit written statements on the incident to be delivered to the BWF by the afternoon of July 30.

Bodin and Maneepong apologised to each other, the fans, the BAT, BWF, the Canadian badminton body and especially to the country for denting its reputation.

Although they were told to make up, they appeared awkward in front of the cameras. No friendly smiles were exchanged. Maneepong, in particular, looked tense and hesitated for a few seconds when asked whether they could be friends again.

"Yes," he replied after some heavy thought. "But only if he tells the truth, but if he still tells lies, then no," said Maneepong, who insisted that he was not the one to start the fight.

"I did not reply [after Bodin sent him an apology online] because I don't know what to say. I forgive him and I will accept the decisions of the BWF and the BAT," said Maneepong, who was presented with garlands of apology by Bodin's mother and wife. They cried and hugged and apologised to each other but Bodin was nowhere in sight.

-- The Nation 2013-07-28

[chooka]

wasn't one the victim?

You don't see Thais actually shaking hands often, actually I have never seen this it is normally a wai.

Edited July 27, 2013 by chooka

[NongKhaiKid]

Expressions of regret and " services " to the country saw the punishments being reduced so what's the bet the main one will be reduced even further on appeal ?

[chooka]

I don't see much regret in the photo. I see 2 grown men being forced to apologise with an official pulling them together. The looks on their faces says, Just wait till this photo opportunity is over, I am going to rip your <deleted> head off. Yea you try it scumbag and I'll rip your arm off shove it through your ears and ride you around like a bicycle.

[johnlandy]

Well hopefully the BWF will impose a lifetime ban on Bodin and let us wait and see how that fits with the realms exalted image the lot

[Payboy]

wasn't one the victim?

You don't see Thais actually shaking hands often, actually I have never seen this it is normally a wai.

The target audience is the BWF.

[aechzen]

give them in a school to learn good behaviour .

[theblether]

After watching the video clip they both have a good career beckoning as Steeplechasers...............

[LomSak27]

Chooka posted

I don't see much regret in the photo. I see 2 grown men being forced to apologise with an official pulling them together. The looks on their faces says, Just wait till this photo opportunity is over, I am going to rip your <deleted> head off. Yea you try it scumbag and I'll rip your arm off shove it through your ears and ride you around like a bicycle.

Right and everyone in Thailand knows this but this is the ritual you do to publicly mend fences and put a good image, face on. It's all a show

[klauskunkel]

They were also ordered to submit written statements on the incident to be delivered to the BWF by the afternoon of July 30.

"On Sunday, July 21, 2013 he called me a "kwaii" (buffalo) in front of Canadian TV, so I kicked him in the head."

[Scott]

A series of Thai bashing posts and replies have been removed.

Stay on topic please.

[RickBradford]

It's a matter of the country's image," Charoen said

.Exactly.

'Thai-ness' is a combination of superiority and fear -- the ingrained culture that says Thailand is better than everywhere else and the suppressed suspicion that it is in reality a shambles.

Hence the need to continue turd-polishing at a frantic pace, to maintain image at all costs, whether by punishing these foolish guys, or shaming young girls who dance topless on trucks during Songkran, or covering up the reason for serial tourist deaths.

If you stick your fingers in your ears and shout 'la-la-la' loudly enough, maybe it will all go away, is the attitude.

[CIHUAHUA]

There is nothing better than a good fight.

[glegolo]

I will be waiting for the REVENGE, that surely will come..

Glegolo

[Lancelot]

The BAT had decided to impose a lifetime ban on Bodin and hand a six-month ban to Maneepong but considering their services to the country and their expression of regret, the punishment was reduced

The real service was to the greater International community to portray the fine art of "Thai Conflict Resolution Skills"

[Briggsy]

Motto of the story: Sledging ( a la Aussie wicketkeepers ) would certainly work on Thais, i.e. put them off, trouble is a brawl would be highly likely.

It's a pity it wasn't a fight between different nationalities. There would have been repercussions on the diplomatic front, particularly if the opponents were Chinese. ( And a pack of motorcycle taxi drivers would have appeared from nowhere to stick the boot in on national defence grounds ).

[tomyummer]

.....and with a fee of 500 baht to each committee member, the ban was lifted.....

[tomyummer]

What a typical but disgraceful display of Thai sportsmanship.

Edited July 28, 2013 by tomyummer

[Bkungbank]

It's okay they can still make a living in Lumpini boxing stadium.

[davejonesbkk]

I think this longer video clip shows that the guy in the orange is 100% to blame here, the other guy is running away from him all the time, I dont really see why he should get any kind of blame at all, he barely even hits back and even if he did is self defense.

[Lite Beer]

Bad boy badminton stars banned for fight

BADMINTON: The Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) has suspended Bodin Issara for two years and Maneepong Jongjit for three months for their on-court brawl in the men's doubles final at the Canada Open last Sunday. The decision was made after a two-hour meeting Saturday.

At first, the BAT wanted to hand Bodin, 22, a life ban but the punishment was reduced to two years because he confessed to having started the fight, said Charoen Wattanasin, the organisation's president.

"It was a one-sided fight - Bodin attacked Maneepong," said Mr Charoen.

"What he did is a shame, and it damages the country's reputation."

As for Maneepong, also 22, he received only a three-month ban because he was only deemed guilty of verbal abuse.

Bodin's coach during the tournament has been suspended for six months and Maneepong's coach for three months, Mr Charoen said.

The punishment came one day after Bodin's club Granular suspended him for the rest of the year without pay.

It could be the end of Bodin's career, said Mr Charoen, who will step down as BAT president when his term expires on Saturday.

"It may be difficult for a player to make a return after such a long ban," he said. However, Bodin, 22, can appeal, Mr Charoen said.

Granular chairman Jane Piyatat said he accepted the association's decision but will appeal for a lesser punishment.

"I accept the decision but the public will decide whether it was the right decision," he said.

Maneepong will not be able to take part in next month's World Championships in China, where he and his partner Nipitphon Puangpuapech were seeded 14th.

The duo buried the hatchet by shaking hands before Saturday's meeting.

Maneepong said afterwards he was partly to blame for the brawl as he raised his middle finger to Bodin during the match.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/bad-boy-badminton-stars-banned-for-fight-41056.php?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

-- Phuket News 2013-07-28

[Tazwa]

I think this longer video clip shows that the guy in the orange is 100% to blame here, the other guy is running away from him all the time, I dont really see why he should get any kind of blame at all, he barely even hits back and even if he did is self defense.

Totally agree with you from what I have seen. He also tries to kick the yellow shirt guy in the head whilst he's on the ground. They don't even allow that in the UFC!

[GentlemanJim]

Well that's convenient then, Bodin's ban will be finished by the time of the next olympics, he will have enough time to enter all the team selection competitions, what an amazing coincidence! And his club have suspended him without pay for a whole 5 months, that'll teach him.

I hope the world Badminton folks take a far more serious views than the Thais have done. Not bad is it really, you get a life time ban reduced to 2 years for saying sorry. Maneepong gets a 50% reduction in sentence and Bodin gets a 99% reduction. Not bad at all. They say Bodin's sentence is reduced for 'confessing' that he started it. Let's face it, he had no choice with the video playbacks did he? When given the chance to say sorry the day after the event he said he was wrong but only started fighting because the other guy hit him on the ear. That was an outright lie. He would have carried on lying if the video evidence had not backed him into a 'sh*t there is no way out of this' situation. Confession my arse!

[chooka]

That guy in orange should be rubbed out for life, he is a complete psycho. One thing I hate is a person who lays in the boots when the other is down. Personally I think the orange guy has brought huge shame on Thailand. I hope the World Badminton Federation at least ban him from all international competition and he should be charged with assault.

Another clip showing 1st contact with the racket

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=0RMrGOkyQtU

Edited July 28, 2013 by chooka

[kurnell]

I think it's quite fortunate that Thailand is generally crap at every sport, otherwise we would see a lot more of this sort of behaviour.

[rbrooks]

Wow I saw the video. Amazing display of Thainess. I do believe that these guys have a chance in Canada's NHL (National Hockey League) where they encourage fighting in the rink.

[wanderluster]

they should be forced to learn a real canadian sport -- hockey -- then this behavior would be considered normal.. posted by a canadian

[Bagwan]

There is nothing better than a good fight.

I wonder if Muhammed Ali thinks that way these days.

[louse1953]

How did Bodin get a bloody ear,was he hit first.I would certainly defend myself if hit with a stick,bat,racket,etc.Getting the bird or being called a kwai is water off a ducks back.

[louse1953]

How did Bodin get a bloody ear,was he hit first.I would certainly respond if hit with a stick.