Life ban for Cuban taekwondo star after vicious assault on Swedish referee

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Cuba's Angel Valodia Matos has been given a lifetime ban after he kicked Swedish referee Chakir Chelbat in the face when he was disqualified from yesterday's +80kg Olympic bronze medal final.

Putting his foot in it: Cuba's Angel Valodia Matos kicks referee Chakir Chelbat

Chelbat ruled that Matos had exceeded the injury time-limit of one minute and handed the bout to Kazakhstan's Arman Chilmanov.

But Matos, who had been leading 3-2 when he went down with a foot injury, reacted wildly, pushing and then kicking the referee, who later needed stitches to a cut lip, and spitting on the floor before being led away by officials.

His coach, Leudis Gonzalez, claimed that the referee had been 'too strict' in his decision to disqualify Matos. Later, he alleged that the match had been 'fixed' and he accused the Kazakhstan taekwondo team of offering him money.

Chilmanov claimed Matos was too badly injured to fight on, saying: 'It was obvious he was unable to continue. His toe on his left foot was broken.' The World Taekwondo Federation called an emergency meeting and imposed lifetime bans on Matos and Gonzalez. After the emergency meeting Yang Jin-suk, secretary-general of the World Taekwondo Federation, described the assault on the referee as 'an insult to the Olympic vision, an insult to the spirit of taekwondo and, in my opinion, an insult to mankind'.

Matos won the gold medal in this division at the 2000 Sydney Games, dedicating the victory to his mother, who had died on the day of the opening ceremony.

At the 2004 Athens Games, he finished 11th. Now he returns home in disgrace.