Tokyo Olympics: Five Australian hockey players breach Covid rules

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Australia's men's hockey team posing with silver medalsImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Australia's hockey team won silver in Tokyo

Five members of Australia's men's Olympic hockey team have been disciplined after breaching Covid rules to buy alcohol in the national team's latest embarrassment at Tokyo 2020.

The players left the Olympic village on Friday.

The incident comes after Australia's men's rugby sevens and rowing teams were found to have damaged their rooms.

The sevens players' behaviour on their flight home was labelled "unacceptable" by Rugby Australia.

Australia's hockey players were discovered to have left the village the day after their defeat by Belgium in the gold-medal match.

"The [hockey] players were out of the village for a total of 20 minutes," Australia chef de mission Ian Chesterman said.

"Around 6:00am, a second group walked to the convenience story without making a purchase.

"We have reprimanded them. They are staying in their rooms. They are feeling deep remorse. They have let their own team-mates down.

"While I understand the players' disappointment following the loss in the gold-medal match, we have been abundantly clear of the expectations of this team while we are in Tokyo."

He added the players have tested negative in isolation and will be returning to Australia on Saturday.