China probes former sports director for corruption

By AFP May 30, 2024 | 01:08 am PT

China's players walk along the pitch at the end of the Asian Cup Group A football match between Qatar and China at the Khalifa International stadium in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 22, 2024. Qatars won 1-0. Photo by AP/Thanassis Stavrakis

A former top Chinese sports official is under investigation for corruption, state media reported Thursday, the latest figure to fall foul of a crackdown on graft in the country.

Gou Zhongwen, who served as director of the General Administration of Sport of China from 2016 to 2022, "is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law," state broadcaster CCTV reported, using a phrase typically used as a euphemism for corruption.

Gou "is currently undergoing disciplinary review and supervisory investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission," CCTV said, referring to Beijing's two top anti-corruption bodies.

The report did not specify what violations Gou is suspected of committing.

Since assuming the role of China's top leader over a decade ago, President Xi Jinping has overseen a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption.

The sporting industry has not been spared, with several top officials facing legal repercussions for alleged malfeasance in recent years.

In March, former chairman of the Chinese Football Association Chen Xuyuan was sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes worth $11 million, making him the latest of around 10 high-level CFA officials to fall foul of watchdogs.