Australian Olympians are busted by officials after breaking Covid protocol to buy cases of beer in the early hours after their gold medal disappointment

  • Five members of the Kookaburras have been busted breaking Covid protocol
  • Olympic men’s hockey team lost in a shootout to Belgium on Thursday night
  • Five Aussies were caught leaving the Olympic Village to buy cases of beer 

By Sam McPhee For Daily Mail Australia and Australian Associated Press

Published: 10:23 BST, 6 August 2021 | Updated: 10:40 BST, 6 August 2021

Five members of Australia’s Olympic silver medal-winning men’s hockey team have been reprimanded after leaving the athletes’ village to buy alcohol.

One group of players went to a nearby store on Friday at 3am and bought two cases of beer. They were gone for about 20 minutes.

 Another group left for the store at around 6am but returned without a purchase.

‘The players’ actions were a clear breach of COVID-19 protocols,’ Australia’s chef de mission Ian Chesterman told reporters in Tokyo. 

‘They are deeply embarrassed and their teammates know who they are.’

Chesterman said he was ‘deeply disappointed’ by the actions of the five members who he refused to name. 

Five members of Australia's Olympic silver medal-winning men's hockey team have been reprimanded after leaving the athletes' village to buy alcohol

Five members of Australia’s Olympic silver medal-winning men’s hockey team have been reprimanded after leaving the athletes’ village to buy alcohol

The five men have been told to remain isolating in their rooms, but all five have tested negative.    

‘They have not done any harm inside the village or outside the village,’ Chesterman said of the offending Kookaburras.

‘In the Australian culture we celebrate and commiserate over a drink… but we have to be strict on this.’ 

The team’s coach Colin Batch was less understanding, saying the players had ’embarrassed’ the Kookaburras, the entire Olympic team and the country.  

‘They did immediately apologise for their lack of thought and the impact that it has had on the Australian Team,’ he said. 

Australia lost in a heartbreaking shootout to Belgium in the gold medal game on Thursday night. 

‘While I understand the players’ disappointment following their loss in the gold medal match, we have been abundantly clear about the expectations of this team while we’re in Tokyo,’ the country’s Chef de Mission said.

‘The rules are there to keep the team safe and for us to keep our commitment to the Games’ organisers and to the Japanese people.’ 

The Kookaburras are set to fly back to Australia on Saturday afternoon where they will undergo two weeks quarantine at the Darwin Covid facility.  

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