Leading Chinese sports official faces corruption probe as football inquiry widens
- Du Zhaocai is the latest leading figure in Chinese sport to be caught up in an inquiry that has also snared the former men’s national football team coach Li Tie
- The country’s top anti-corruption agency said this week it would carry out further investigations into sports administration
One of China’s leading sports officials is being investigated on suspicion of corruption, the Communist Party’s top graft-busting body announced on Saturday.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that Du Zhaocai, deputy head of the General Administration of Sport of China, was under investigation for suspected violations of discipline and law – the usual euphemism for corruption.
The announcement gave no further details about the case.
Du, 63, had been working as the deputy head of the government body responsible for administering Chinese sport since 2019. He has over 30 years’ experience working as a sports and football administrator.
He was previously vice-president of the Asian Football Confederation, vice-president of the Chinese Olympic Committee and a council member of the International Association of Athletics Federations.
He had served as vice-president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) and was elected to the Fifa Council in 2019.
His failure to retain his seat on the Fifa Council during a vote at the Asian Football Confederation’s congress in Bahrain in February was another blow to Chinese football’s status after a series of problems on and off the pitch.
On Monday, China’s top anti-corruption agency launched a new round of inspections, indicating another round of regulatory reform. It said it will include a special inspection of the General Administration of Sport as part of the drive.
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Since the end of last year, dozens of sports related officials have been brought down. Eight former and current officials of the CFA are under investigation.
Other officials under investigation include the head of the CFA’s disciplinary committee, Wang Xiaoping, and the director of its competition department, Huang Song.
Sports administration has taken on a growing significance as part of China’s soft power strategies.
Two months after China hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the country to improve its international competitiveness in sport and accelerate the pace of building a sporting powerhouse.
The General Administration of Sport of China oversees and regulates sports activities in China, with responsibilities that extend beyond training athletes.
It also played a key role in planning major international events, including the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, last year’s Winter Games, and promoting sports diplomacy as a means to enhance China’s global image and improve relations with other countries.