A former senior Chinese sports official has been expelled from the Communist Party for corruption, state media reported Saturday, as the government pursues a crackdown on graft in the sector.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has led a clampdown on official misconduct since coming to power a decade ago. Proponents say the campaign helps to ensure honest governance, but critics say it allows Xi to purge his political rivals.
"Du Zhaocai, former vice head of the General Administration of Sport of China, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and dismissed from public office over serious violations of discipline and law," Xinhua reported, adding that the punishment was announced by Beijing's top anti-corruption body.
Du "illegally accepted gifts and money" and was "found to have taken advantage of his posts to seek profits for others in business operations and employee recruitment", the report said.
Apart from expelling him, the party will also "confiscate his illicit gains" and hand his case over to prosecutors.
Du joins a lengthening list of Chinese sports figures investigated this year for corruption.
That list includes Liu Jun, the head of China's top professional football league, and notable football personalities such as former national coach Li Tie, who has been criminally charged with bribery and other violations.
In June, China's national snooker body issued lifetime bans to two players involved in a match-fixing scandal that sent shockwaves through the sport.
