What’s new: Two more senior officials of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) have fallen under graft probes, as the country’s anti-corruption crackdown on the sport has now caught a former referee in its dragnet.
Tan Hai, the director of the CFA’s technology department and a former international-level referee, and Qi Jun, director of the CFA’s strategic planning department, are being investigated for alleged “serious violations of discipline and law,” a common euphemism for corruption, according to two one-line statements published by Hubei province graft busters Saturday.
Tan is the first referee officially announced as a target during the latest round of investigations, which have ensnared at least 13 CFA-related officials and coaches since November 2022.
Tan and Qi are being investigated by a central discipline inspection team stationed at the General Administration of Sport as well as by the Hubei Provincial Commission of Supervision, the statements said.
The background: Tan was accredited as an international-level referee in 2004 and named referee of the year in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015 by the CFA Super League, public information showed. He is also an associate professor of Beijing Sport University.
Qi, a graduate in soccer from Beijing Sport University, has spent more than 12 years at the CFA. He served as head of the association’s competition department before becoming the strategic planning department chief in August 2021.
Earlier this month, former senior education ministry official in charge of promoting youth soccer, Wang Dengfeng, pleaded guilty to embezzlement and bribery involving more than 50 million yuan ($7 million).
Contact reporter Kelly Wang (jingzhewang@caixin.com) and editor Jonathan Breen (jonathanbreen@caixin.com)
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