Thai Badminton Players Brawl After Argument at Canada Open [Video] (Update: Television Footage of the Fight)

Update: Here is television footage of the fight. You can see the start of the fight, a chair get thrown and the bloody ear. The announcers talk about how rare this is as the fighting players join a very short list for black cards in the “history of ever.”

Former Thai Olympic badminton teammates Bodin “Art” Issara and Maneepong “A” Jongjit got into a fistfight at the Canada Open on Sunday. From the Bangkok Post:

Reports said Bodin “Art” Issara and Maneepong “A” Jongjit glared at each other and exchanged several heated words as the two teams switched to the opposite side of the court mid-match at the Canada Open 2013 Badminton Men’s Double Final.

Art suddenly let go of his racket and chased A into another court. Art threw punches and kicked his former playing partner until coaches and tournament staff intervened.

Jongjit needed five stitches on his ear and both players were disqualified. Witnesses say that Issara started the fight and flashed the middle finger while Jongjit hit his former teammate with a racket.

Here the two badminton players are during happier times. Issara and Jongjit were eliminated in the preliminary round at the 2012 London Olympics. [photo via Getty]