Australian hockey players breached Covid-19 rules by leaving the athletes’ village to buy alcohol.

The Australian Athletes who sought to drown their sorrows in beer after losing the Olympic gold medal match also temporarily lost their freedom on Friday.

Five members of the men’s squad had been reprimanded and isolated in their rooms, Team Australia chief Ian Chesterman says adding a further blemish to the team’s reputation a few days after rugby sevens players and rowers from the same nation damaged rooms in the athletes village.

Chesterman said three of the players left the village to buy two cases of beer at 3am on Friday, hours after Australia lost the final to Belgium.

Under the state of emergency operating in Tokyo for the duration of the Games, athletes are restricted to the Olympic Village and competition venues.

Chesterman says the athletes who broke the rules reported themselves to team officials later on Friday and had all tested negative for Covid-19 and would be returning to Australia on Saturday.

[Source: Reuters]