By Duncan Mackay

Greysia Polii London 2012March 10 - Indonesia's Greysia Polii, one of the eight players disqualified from London 2012 for throwing their matches, has been elected as a new member of the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) Athletes' Commission, it was announced today.


Greysia and her women's doubles partner Meiliana Jauhari were thrown out of the Olympics last year for intentionally playing poorly in pool matches to secure an easier quarter-final draw.

The Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) banned the pair from competing in international tournaments but lifted the suspension two months later.

The 25-year-old from Jakarta has now been chosen as one of three new members to join the BWF Athletes' Commission, which represents the sport's top players with the world governing body.

Greysia, who was supported by the PBSI, took the spot for the female with the highest number of votes. 

She polled 129 votes to pip Scotland's Imogen Bankier, winner of a silver medal in the mixed doubles at the 2011 World Championships, by six votes.

The referee urges Indonesias Greysia Polii and Meilana Jauhari and South Koreas Ha Jung Eun and Kim Min Jung to play fairlyThe referee urges Indonesia's Greysia Polii and doubles partner Meiliana Jauhari and South Korea's Ha Jung Eun and Kim Min Jung to play fairly during London 2012

Greysia claimed she had decided to stand for the Commission because of what happened at London 2012, where she believes she was treated unfairly.

"After the disqualification, we really did not know to whom we should address our complaints," she said.

"The Commission once succeeded to equalise the prize money offered to male and female players for every tournament.

"I hope we can make another breakthrough this time to improve the athletes' welfare."

Greysia will be joined on the Commission, established in 2008, by Belgium's Yuhan Tan and Denmark's Hans-Kristian Vittinghus.

The three were elected to serve four-year terms following four days of voting by their fellow players; two at the Yonex German Open and two at the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships.

Tan, a 25-year-old left-hander who is a six-time Belgian champion, was elected as the male with the highest number of votes after polling 139 of the 270 votes.

Yuhan Tan at London 2012Belgium's Yuhan Tan topped the poll in the elections for the BWF Athletes' Commission

Vittinghus, 27, a former under-19 European Team Championships gold medallist, earned the third spot, awarded to the player who polled the next highest number of votes among the eight candidates, irrespective of whether they were male or female.

He polled 129 votes.

The three successful candidates join current Commission members Lee Yong Dae of South Korea, Emma Mason of Scotland and Rodrigo Pacheco of Peru, along with ex-officio member Pedro Yang of Guatemala.

BWF secretary general Thomas Lund, congratulated the winning candidates and wished them well in their term "as they represent the interests of their peers in badminton".

The Commission will now meet to select a chair and this person will attend the next meeting of the BWF Council in Kuala Lumpur in May.

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