Chinese badminton head coach Li Yongbo has warned against complacency after his team had a clean sweep of five gold medals at the London Olympic Games.
"The victory in London dosn't mean we are flawless," Li said on Thursday at Beijing Airport where the Chinese team was welcomed by a swarm of fans and journalists.
Chinese shuttlers swept five gold, two silver and one bronze in the Olympic badminton tournament which also saw eight players including a pair of Chinese thrown out of contention for intentionally losing game.
"Although we achieved the best ever results in the Olympic Games, we need to keep a cool head," said Li. "We should start all over again."
Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli, top-seeded in the women's doubles, were disqualified by the World Badminton Federation for playing to lose in order to have a favorable draw in the quarter-finals.
Four South Korean players and two Indonesians were also expelled for lack of effort in their games.
"I won't hold them accountable for what happened in London," said Li. "Their goal is simple and direct: play for better results and win gold medals."
Yu Yang had once disclosed on her Twitter-like service Sina Weibo that she was frustrated and would call its quits.
"Yu made her mind before the Olympics that she would retire after the Games," Li said. "But after what she had been through in London, she has decided to carry on for the 2016 Olympics."
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