Australia were defeated 91-83 by Angola in their Group D clash on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria on Thursday (September 4) and it is alleged they contrived to lose the game in order to avoid playing gold medal favourites the United States until the semi-finals.

After resting several of their strongest players, including star centre Aron Baynes, the Australians let a 15 point lead slip against their African opponents.

Among those to express their doubts over the validity of this result was Slovenia's Goran Dragić, a National Basketball Association star with the Phoenix Suns.

He wrote on Twitter: "Basketball is a beautiful sport, there is no room for fixing the game like today Australia vs. Angola! @FIBA should do something about that".

Because the Oceanian team, nicknamed the "Boomers", subsequently lost a thrilling last 16 clash against Turkey 65-64 in Barcelona, this was proved irrelevant, but the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced yesterday they have opened disciplinary proceedings.

In a strongly worded statement, Basketball Australia said it "categorically rejects any suggestion that the Australian Boomers were a party to contriving the result".

Australia went into the match against Angola attempting to win, "plain and simple", it is claimed ©AFP/Getty Images



The statement adds: "The Australian Boomers went into the game against Angola to win - plain and simple.

"Claims to the contrary are widely speculative, insulting to the Australian sporting culture and to our playing group who gave their very best throughout this tournament.

"They're downright wrong.

"Basketball Australia has put a strong and detailed case to FIBA outlining why the decision was made to rest injured players and restrict playing time for fatigued players during the last game day of Group D.

"That decision was supported by clear and definitive medical advice.

"The health and well being of our players is paramount, the World Cup group stage schedule of five games in six days is, put simply, gruelling.

"It takes a significant toll on athletes - and is precisely the reason why FIBA allows a roster of 12 active players."

The statement concludes by insisting that, as Australians, they "always compete in the right way", and, "as a world leader in integrity education, welcome FIBA's scrutiny - and look forward to a resolution which closes the book on these fundamentally inaccurate allegations".

This is the latest jn a long list of cases involving sports stars or teams being accused of deliberately losing matches to ensure an easier draw, a pitfall of any sport in which there is not a straight knockout system. 

Eight badminton players were disqualified from London 2012 for deliberately trying to lose ©AFP/Getty Images





Most famously, at London 2012, eight badminton players from China, South Korea and Indonesia were disqualified from the women's doubles event for trying to lose.

This became farcical when two of the pairs faced each other, Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli, the Chinese top seeds, and their South Korean rivals, Jung Kyung-eun and Kim Ha-na, were booed by spectators as they repeatedly hit shots wide or served into the net.

At the London 1948 Olympics, British rowers Bert Bushnell and Dickie Burnell subsequently admitted they had contrived to lose their heat against France in the men's double sculls so as to avoid meeting their Danish rivals at the semi-final stage.

They subsequently beat the Danes to claim the gold medal in the final. 

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