Du Zhaocai Photo: VCG

Former deputy minister of the General Administration of Sport of China Du Zhaocai has been expelled from the membership of the Communist Party of China and public office for serious disciplinary and violations of the law, including taking bribes and confronting organizational investigations, China's top disciplinary watchdog announced on Saturday. 

Du, also the Party secretary of China's soccer governing body the CFA since 2018, has been accused of seriously undermining the political ecology of Chinese soccer.

"Du… seriously damaged the political ecology of soccer, confronted organizational investigations, and conducted superstitious activities," the statement from the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision reads. "He used the convenience of his position to seek benefits for others and illegally accept huge amounts of property."

Du, who was put under a probe in April, remains the top sports official to be investigated since 2022 as part of an anti-corruption storm that has been sweeping through the Chinese sports sector. Other high-profile sports officials under investigation include former soccer chief Chen Xuyuan and the former secretary-general of China's delegation for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games Ni Huizhong.

Gao Zhidan, director of the General Administration of Sport, said in March that Chinese sports authorities have been conducting a profound review of the problems that have emerged in soccer and other fields and have vowed "to cure the sickness with powerful medicine" during this high-profile anti-graft storm.

Under Du's rule, the Chinese soccer had witnessed continuous underachieving performances, highlighted by the men's national team, which only secured two wins since July 2022 and did not participate in competitive matches. 

A total of 14 soccer-related officials have been put under investigation since November 2022, including former national team head coach Li Tie and CFA chief Chen, who are prosecuted for taking bribes.

During Du's tenure, the highly anticipated AFC Asian Cup that was originally set to be held in China over the summer had to be postponed and relocated to Qatar in 2024 after the CFA relinquished the hosting rights in 2022.

The news of Du's dismissal comes just as the Hangzhou Asian Games is about to end. Chinese athletes have bagged over 200 gold medals at the Games. Most of the athletes have set their sights on the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, which is less than 300 days away.

Mao Jiale, a Chengdu-based sports commentator, told the Global Times on Saturday that the anti-corruption campaign in sports is a vital part of safeguarding Chinese athletes so they may perform better.

"Du's removal from his posts coincides with the achievements of Chinese athletes at the Asian Games, indicating the massive anti-graft storm in the sports sector will not impact athletes' performances but secure their everyday preparations for major tournaments," Mao told the Global Times. 

"The mismanagement from the top of the CFA in recent years has tainted the sport's development in the country. Hopefully the dismissal of these corrupted officials will pave the way for the progress of soccer, which remains one of the most popular sports in China," he noted.