Is It Unsportsmanlike for Athletes to Intentionally Lose?

Eight Olympic badminton players were disqualified from the competition Wednesday, accused of intentionally playing to lose in order to face easier opponents in future matches.

One Chinese player said she is quitting the sport because of it. CNN reports, "This is my last match," Yu Yang wrote on her microblog account late Wednesday. "Farewell Badminton World Federation, farewell my beloved badminton."

All four duos were charged by the federation with not doing their best to win a match and abusing or demeaning the sport, CNN reported.

While the Indonesian and South Korean pairs both unsuccessfully appealed the Federation's decision, the Chinese sporting authorities accepted the ruling and the country's head badminton coach apologized for the players' behavior.

And while highly controversial, badminton players aren't the first to be accused of playing a sport poorly for selfish reasons. It's happened in soccer and hockey as well.

Although the badminton match bracket is set up in a way that might tempt players to intentionally lose, is this an excuse to do so? Is this a good example for young players of a sport or would you be tempted to do so when under such pressure?