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The coaches were fingered for allegedly spying on Canada's opponent's training session
Two members of the Canadian women's Olympic football team staff have been sent home from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games following allegations of espionage against the New Zealand team.
Drone incident sparks controversy
The controversy began when staff from New Zealand's team noticed a drone hovering above their training session in St Etienne on Monday.
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Suspicious of potential spying, they promptly reported the incident to local authorities and upon investigation, French police identified the drone's operator as a supporting staff member of the Canadian team. The individual was detained, and the incident was reported to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
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The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) expressed their dismay in an official statement, stating, "The NZOC has formally lodged the incident with the IOC integrity unit and has asked Canada for a full review. The NZOC and New Zealand Football are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games."
Canada discipline coaches involved in spying incident
In response to the incident, Bev Priestman, the head coach of the Canadian women's team, issued a public apology, saying, "On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologise to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada. This does not represent the values that our team stands for. I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program."
The Canadian team has taken swift action by sending the involved staff members home, aiming to mitigate the fallout from the incident. The IOC's integrity unit is now involved in the investigation, and further consequences could follow depending on the findings.
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Canada open their Olympic Gold medal defence on Thursday against New Zealand, hoping to re-live the glory of the 2020 Olympic Games.
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