Polish Olympians punished by Badminton Association

The Board of Directors of the Polish Badminton Association (PBA) published on Saturday, August 25th a resolution (available here, in Polish) punishing Kamila Augustyn, Adam Cwalina, Michał Łogosz, Robert Mateusiak, Przemyslaw Wacha and Nadia Zieba.  The resolution states that Mateusiak, Wacha and Zieba were cautioned because they “disobeyed orders from the PBA board of directors” and that they are to return the costs of their accommodation before the Olympic Games in London.

Logosz and Augustyn were given the same reprimand but additionally they will not receive one month grant because they “did not execute the training plan”, with Augustyn’s grant suspension extended for an additional month for “leaving the Olympic Games without coaches’ permission”.

The most severe was the punishment for Adam Cwalina, who bears the same penalties as Augustyn but was additionally accused of “an attitude unworthy of a Polish representative”, resulting in a loss of his grant for four months.

PBA President Marek Krajewski, was not reached for commentary but Augustyn, Cwalina and Logosz communicated their surprise in statements to the website www.badmintonzone.pl

The PBA is no stranger to controversy.  One year ago, its former Board of Directors initiated legal proceedings against Logosz and Mateusiak, making accusations under Polish penal code that could have resulted in jail time for the players.   The PBA authorities were completely changed during a subsequent PBA Special General Meeting and it is the replacement board that has taken this latest action against Poland’s  six top shuttlers.