London (CNN) -- Eight female badminton players were disqualified from the Olympics on Wednesday for trying to lose matches the day before, the Badminton World Federation announced after a disciplinary hearing. The players from China, South Korea and Indonesia were accused of playing to lose so they could face easier opponents in future matches, drawing boos from spectators and warnings from match officials Tuesday night. All four pairs of players were charged with not doing their best to win a match and abusing or demeaning the sport. The Indonesian and South Korean pairs appealed the decision, the federation said. But the Chinese sporting authorities accepted the decision and the head badminton coach apologized for the players' behavior.NEW: The head coach of the Chinese badminton team apologizesPlayers from South Korea, China and Indonesia are expelled for not trying to winBritish sports fans call the incident "shocking" and not in the Olympic spiritThe eight players would have had tactical reasons for wanting to lose
The game of badminton dates back centuries but has been an _ sport only since 1992.