BEIJING (AP) — Cuba’s Angel Matos deliberately kicked a referee square in the face after he was disqualified in a bronze-medal match, prompting the World Taekwondo Federation to recommend he be banned for life.
Cuba’s Angel Matos has been disqualified for life after kicking a referee in the Men’s 80Kg Bronze medal match “We didn’t expect anything like what you have witnessed to occur,” said WTF secretary general Yang Jin-suk. “I am at a loss for words.”
Yang also recommended Matos’ coach be banned.
cuban athete kicks referee
Matos was winning 3-2, with 1:02 left in the second round, when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan’s Arman Chilmanov. Matos was sitting there, awaiting medical attention, when he was disqualified for taking too much injury time. Fighters get one minute, and Matos was disqualified when his time ran out.
Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge, then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden, who will require stitches in his lip. Matos spat on the floor and was escorted out.
“This is an insult to the Olympic vision, an insult to the spirit of taekwondo and, in my opinion, an insult to mankind,” Yang said.
Matos’ coach was unapologetic.
“He was too strict,” Leudis Gonzalez said, referring to the decision to disqualify Matos. Afterward, he charged the match was fixed, accusing the Kazakhs of offering him money.
After being declared the loser of the bronze medal match, Cuba’s Angel Matos attacked the referee. He and his both were both banned for life from all future World Taekwondo Federation events.
Although the arena announcer said Matos and his coach were banned effective immediately, Yang said due process must be followed before officially banning the two.
In his first match, Matos defeated Italy’s Leonardo Basile, then beat China’s Liu Xiaobo 2-1 in the quarterfinals. But he lost to South Korean Cha Dong-min in the semis to land in the bronze-medal match.
“To me it was obvious he was unable to continue,” Chilmanov said. “His toe on his left foot was broken.”
But Chilmanov added: “Rules are rules. I’m happy with my medal.”
Matos won the gold medal in this division - the men’s over 80-kilograms (176 pounds) - at the 2000 Sydney Games, dedicating the victory to his mother, who died on the day of the opening ceremony. At the 2004 Athens Games, he finished 11th.
Matos’ bad behavior followed a day of confusion on the mats and ended the four-day taekwondo competition, which was marred by several protests against judge’s calls.
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It is totally disgraceful attitude for sportsmen. You never ever kick a referee in any event let alone Olympics. Matos has just covered the glory of his Olympic 2004 Gold medal with mud.
What was he expecting a 2 minute recovering time. What surprised me the most is that his coach was not careful of the time left. He should have put Matos back on the bout before the 1 min recovering time.
It will be interesting to know what the Cuban authorities have to say about it.
I am ashamed of being Cuban after seeing something like this and to make things worse we have had the worst results in Olympic Games in ages. Only 2 gold medals so far that is a disgrace. We have lost in baseball, our female Judo team did crap and the Boxing, well lets see E. Correa has already lost.
Well done! Matos. Now what are you gonna do with your carreer. You don’t know anything else other than kicking people in the face and now you are banned for life.
That referee was a bit too strict. I would have been pissed off as well. I only wish he had knocked the shit out of the referee
How will Cuba receive Matos?
You would not believe this unless you were Cuban of course.
Angel Matos has been branded a hero by Cuban authorities. On Cuban national channel the whole episode was discussed and Matos disgraceful attitude was justified with allegations that the referee had been paid under the table.
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