China's Deng Linlin (C) celebrates winning a gold medal in the women's gymnastics balance beam. (Photo : Reuters)
China's General Administration of Sport released an official statement on Monday to address the issue of corruption in the nation's sporting realm, as more than 40 individuals have been arrested since 2009 in the name of fairness.
The body focused on the gold-medal obsession that China has gained a reputation for around the world, identifying a small group, consisting of both athletes and coaches, "who will stop at nothing to achieve good results in competitions."
The spotlight has been placed upon China's gold-medal fixation by Beijing's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, which is seeking to eliminate match-fixing and cheating.
Furthermore, the relentless pursuit of medals has received the blame from numerous Chinese in a society that has been criticized for over-burdening athletes in the name of success. Comparisons have been drawn to the Soviet era of Russia.
Monday's statement was clear in its intent to address the critics, as the administration did not try to soften the impact of its announcement:
"The unscrupulous, illegal and fraudulent pursuit of gold medals not only distorts the spirit of sport, but also hurts career development and national interests. It undermines the image of sport and is contrary to its value. We must resolutely oppose this and effectively eliminate it."
The timing of this week's statement was also driven by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, described by Reuters as the "Communist Party's anti-graft watchdog," which had presented findings to the administration that showed fraudulent behavior.
President Xi Jinping has also spoken publicly on the matter, as his beloved game of association football has been brought into disrepute.
