China is ordering its basketball players to stop faking their birth dates, local media reported Friday, turning the spotlight back on allegations of systematic altering of athlete’s ages.
Sports authorities have sometimes been accused of altering players’ ages to show them as being younger, mainly to qualify them for youth tournaments. Those false ages stay with athletes and can result in embarrassment and regulatory sanctions when athletes move on to greater success.
While that practice, known as ‘age shaving,’ is considered widespread in sports such as basketball and football, the opposite was suspected in the controversy surrounding the women’s gymnastics competition at the Beijing Olympics. …
China warns basketball players to be honest about their ages – The Canadian Press
So, China has admitted to age shaving.
This was forced mainly because of the Yi Jianlian age controversy. He plays for the New Jersey Nets.
This must be pressuring those in China who falsified the ages of Olympic gymnasts.
… The International Gymnastics Federation eventually cleared the Chinese women’s Olympic gold medal gymnasts of amending birth records to appear older than they were, but continues to investigate the ages of Chinese gymnasts who competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Female gymnasts are required to have attained a minimum age of 16 during an Olympic year to be eligible for competition. …
One day the truth will out.
It’s simply a matter of time.
AP Photo by AMY SANCETTAChinese gymnasts Yang Yun, left, and Dong Fangxiao wave flowers after recieving the bronze medal in the women’s gymnastic team finals at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney. – Daylife
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