Former Olympic hurdler held in anti-graft inquiry
Former Olympic hurdler Li Tong , now a sports marketing director in China for US shoe company Nike, was detained by police as the anti-graft investigation of the mainland's soccer authority expanded to the commercial sector, according to the nation's media.
The probe of the Chinese Football Association, which involves match-fixing, bribe-taking and gambling, also now includes the soccer authority in Chongqing .
Li was questioned about Nike's huge sponsorship deal with the professional Super League and his relationship with Nan Yong, former CFA vice-chairman, the Eastern Sports Daily reported yesterday. Nan was arrested in January.
A statement issued yesterday by Nike Greater China communications director Jeanne Huang said: 'Nike has not been contacted by the authorities in China in relation to the Super League. Nike employee Li Tong has not reported to work since Wednesday September 8.
'We have no further comment at this time.'
The Xinmin Evening News cited an unnamed police source as saying Li had been taken to Shenyang, Liaoning , for interrogation, but the source did not know why.
Nike signed a 10-year sponsorship deal with the league last year, paying US$15 million the first year, to provide uniforms to the 16 teams. With a 10 per cent price rise each year, the deal would have totalled more than US$200 million.
A public relations company employee said to be close to a Nike marketing employee said Li had since been released, but it could not be confirmed last night.
Li, the one-time holder of the Asian record for the 110-metre hurdles, competed for China in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He was eliminated in the semi-finals. He also finished eighth at the 1991 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Police expanded their investigation to local sports bureaus after Gao Jian , director of the Chongqing Football Association, was taken to Shenyang over the investigation of Xie Yalong , former vice-chairman of the CFA, the Shenyang Evening News reported.
Xie, detained on September 3, had been questioned in connection with match-fixing, receiving bribes from players and gambling, the Liaoshen Evening News reported. The national team's former manager, Wei Shaohui, and Li Dongsheng , former head of the referees' commission, are also under investigation.
Xie's detention indicates another round in the crackdown in which Nan and Yang Yimin , another CFA vice-chairman, and Zhang Jianqiang , former director of the association's referees' committee, were arrested for match-fixing and bribery in January. Dozens of officials and referees have been detained. Apart from Gao, the whereabouts of a couple of other local sports bureau officials are also unknown.
Cai Zhenhua - a former national table tennis player and coach and, at 49, the youngest vice-chief of the General Administration of Sports - began his duties in charge of soccer last week, succeeding Cui Dalin , who had retired, China News Service reported. Cai is expected to become CFA chairman.
The CFA's statement released last Friday, which called for continuing a stringent anti-graft campaign, was reportedly a result of a directive from senior management including Cai.
Media have pointed to inadequate restrictions and scrutiny over the CFA as a result of loopholes, suspecting there must be a chain of special interests behind the downfalls.
