@Robert Gentel,
[quote="Robert Gentel"Matos and his coach were immediately banned for life by the World Taekwondo Federation, but what I don't get about cases like this is why these athletes aren't charged with assault and dealt with through the criminal justice systems.[/quote]
I don't know that cases like this can't to go through the criminal justice system, nor that they never do. But I can imagine why the professional organization would be the the more efficient institution for handling them.
For one thing, going through the criminal systems involves a choice of law. Whose criminal system? The offender's country's (Cuba), or the victim's country's (Sweden), or the host country (China)?
Then there's the question of due process -- does the rest of the world trust the Chinese and Cuban justice systems?
Then there's the question of getting the parties to the trial, which happens thousands of miles from at least one party's home. Would the offender have any incentive to show up?
Sure, handling it through an international professional association isn't perfect, but it could easily be the least imperfect solution available.