for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks he

SEOUL, South Korea -- Badminton at the Rio Olympics will try to shake off multiple scandals and adapt to a rule change many consider an attempt to curb Chinese dominance.Seen as backyard fun by many Americans, the sport is serious business for millions in Asia and parts of Europe, where throngs of people pack stadiums to watch players who are household names.Its less popular in Brazil, and that has some players worried about whats in store for them.Those who tune in will see an appealing blend of power, speed and agility, with long rallies that can seem like video games as the shuttle whizzes back and forth across the net and players stretch like gymnasts to parry smashes that can reach speeds of well above 100 miles per hour.Heres a look at what to expect in Rio from a game named after a 19th century English dukes country house:---SCANDALSBadminton has been rocked by scandal in recent years and is hoping the Olympics will provide a chance to move on.At the 2012 games in London, two South Korean womens doubles teams along with a Chinese and an Indonesian team were disqualified for trying to lose early matches so they could get better draws in the knockout round.Two of the disgraced South Koreans, Kim Ha-na and Jeong Kyung-eun, made the Olympics team for Rio. Time has passed and Ive moved on and grown up, Kim said recently. Although I still have bad memories, I will never make the same mistake again.The current No. 1 mens singles player, Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, served an eight-month ban for doping. Lee said he took an anti-inflammatory drug inadvertently, and a panel said he had been negligent, rather than intending to cheat.A gambling scandal, meanwhile, has hurt the chances of the recently improved Japanese mens team. Kento Momota, a young star who had been ranked No. 2 in the world, was banned from the Olympics after admitting to gambling at an illegal casino in Japan.---END OF CHINESE DOMINANCE?China won gold in all five badminton events in 2012, and many top Chinese will again be contenders.But competition in Rio is likely to be more open after an Olympic rule change that limits countries to two singles entrants in each event. Each country could previously enter three, something that benefited Chinas deep field of talent.Even without the change, however, the rest of the world has been gaining on China.The current top mens and womens singles players are non-Chinese -- Malaysias Lee Chong Wei and Carolina Marin, of Spain -- although both of the No. 2 and No. 3 players are Chinese.---THREEPEAT?Chinas Lin Dan, considered by many the greatest mens player of all time, will be going for his third consecutive singles gold.He won at home in Beijing in 2008 and again in London in 2012, both times against his top rival, and perhaps the second greatest player of his era, Malaysias Lee Chong Wei, who is now considered the top gold medal contender.Lin, currently ranked No. 3, is no longer the top-ranked player even in China, eclipsed by world champion Chen Long, the world No. 2.Both Lin and Lee are old by badminton standards: Lin is 32; Lee is 33.Still, Lin combines a powerful attack, agile defense and subtle net play, and many fans are hoping for a dramatic rematch between Lin and Lee.---VENUEBrazil is not a traditional badminton power, and there is some worry about fan support and the arenas layout.Lin Dan, used to huge, adoring crowds and dedicated badminton arenas, mentioned what he considered the venues small size after playing a test event there last year.Air drifts and currents are also worries when playing top-level badminton in a place thats not used to it. Drifts can play a major, detrimental part in a game by changing the direction and speed of the shuttle, which is conical, made of 16 goose feathers stuck to a leather-covered round cork, and weighs only about 5 grams.Major drift culprits include air conditioning and the opening and closing of doors and windows.To be fair, there were drift complaints even at the Olympics in England, where the modern version of the game was developed in the 19th century. To try to compensate for any drifts, players change ends during matches.---AP TV journalist Jungho Choi contributed from Seoul.---Foster Klug, APs bureau chief in Seoul, South Korea, is covering table tennis and badminton in Rio. Follow him at www.twitter/apklug Gardner Minshew II Womens Jersey . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Marqise Lee Jersey . 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Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. MOBILE, Ala. -- Georgi Boyanov knocked down a 3-pointer to give South Alabama the lead in overtime and the Jaguars held Florida International scoreless for almost four minutes of the extra period to earn a 69-64 victory in the first round of the Roundball Classic Friday night.Josh Ajayi grabbed an offensive rebound and laid it in to get South Alabama even with six seconds left in regulation and force overtime.The Panthers held an eight-point lead with six minutes left in regulation but were held scoreless for a three--minute stretch while South Alabama clawed its way back.ddddddddddddDon MuepoKellys layup got the Jaguars within three, 53-50 with 3:40 left.Ajayi finished with a career-high 27 points to lead South Alabama.Eric Nottage scored 18 points to lead Florida International.Florida International faces Jacksonville Saturday while the host Jaguars face Youngstown State. The tournament wraps up Sunday. ' ' '