Coach Claims Basketball Teams Throwing Games At Olympics

The Australian women’s basketball coach has claimed that some international basketball teams “strategically” lose games.

Opals coach Carrie Graf made the remarkable claim on Wednesday (local time), but denied Australia endorsed such policies or that it undermined the sport’s credibility.

Graf was responding to suggestions that it would be in her team’s interests to avoid playing the United States in the quarter-finals of the London Olympics, a scenario that could possibly be achieved by manipulating results.

At the press conference after the Opals’ 67-61 win against Brazil on Wednesday, Graf was asked to comment on speculation that it might be in Australia’s interests to lose one more group game to dodge a quarter-final showdown with the gold-medal favourite.

Graf replied: “Our focus was to get this win [against Brazil] and if you’re going to consider anything strategic like that, you have to be absolutely sure that it can happen.

“Other results can go ways that you may not want … if you’re serious about trying to win [a gold medal] you have to beat [the US] at some point.

“Our focus is we’ve got Brazil out of way, then we’re going to go after Russia. At this stage it’s not something we would entertain.”

It hardly seemed an emphatic denial, especially as “tanking” was a hot topic after the IOC decision earlier in the day to disqualify eight badminton players for allegedly trying to lose games.

When she faced the media again several hours later, Graf insisted Australia play to win.

But she does not believe that was the case with every team in the world.

“Our focus is on winning each game, ” she said.

“We’ve got to practice winning. That’s the bottom line . . . we’ve got to win each game.

“We’ve got to focus on that, and then deal with the quarter-final and deal with the semi-final.

“It’s about winning each of those games.”

Asked if she found it offensive to even be queried about whether Australia would consider the option of deliberately losing, Graf replied: “I don’t think it’s offensive.

Coach Claims Basketball Teams Throwing Games At Olympics

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/other-sports/7402577/Olympic-basketball-match-throwing-claim

The Australian women’s basketball coach has claimed that some international basketball teams “strategically” lose games.

Opals coach Carrie Graf made the remarkable claim on Wednesday (local time), but denied Australia endorsed such policies or that it undermined the sport’s credibility.

Graf was responding to suggestions that it would be in her team’s interests to avoid playing the United States in the quarter-finals of the London Olympics, a scenario that could possibly be achieved by manipulating results.

At the press conference after the Opals’ 67-61 win against Brazil on Wednesday, Graf was asked to comment on speculation that it might be in Australia’s interests to lose one more group game to dodge a quarter-final showdown with the gold-medal favourite.

Graf replied: “Our focus was to get this win [against Brazil] and if you’re going to consider anything strategic like that, you have to be absolutely sure that it can happen.

“Other results can go ways that you may not want … if you’re serious about trying to win [a gold medal] you have to beat [the US] at some point.

“Our focus is we’ve got Brazil out of way, then we’re going to go after Russia. At this stage it’s not something we would entertain.”

It hardly seemed an emphatic denial, especially as “tanking” was a hot topic after the IOC decision earlier in the day to disqualify eight badminton players for allegedly trying to lose games.

When she faced the media again several hours later, Graf insisted Australia play to win.

But she does not believe that was the case with every team in the world.

“Our focus is on winning each game, ” she said.

“We’ve got to practice winning. That’s the bottom line . . . we’ve got to win each game.

“We’ve got to focus on that, and then deal with the quarter-final and deal with the semi-final.

“It’s about winning each of those games.”

Asked if she found it offensive to even be queried about whether Australia would consider the option of deliberately losing, Graf replied: “I don’t think it’s offensive.