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New China badminton chief vows to crack down on corruption after predecessor removed

Zhang Jun, the former President of the Chinese Badminton Federation
Zhang Jun, the former President of the Chinese Badminton FederationCredit: chenbin / Xinhua News / Profimedia

China’s new badminton chief vowed on Sept 8 to crack down on corruption after the man he replaced was put under investigation and hasn’t been seen in months.

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Zhang Jun, then president of the Chinese Badminton Association (CBA), was accused in April of “serious violations of discipline and law”.

The phrase is commonly used in China when referring to corruption.

On 8 Sept the CBA said Zhang Xin – an official from China’s General Administration of Sport – will be the new president.

The CBA will “resolutely see through the fight against corruption, drawing lessons from previous cases”, Zhang said after being appointed.

He warned people should “not dare to be corrupt, not be corrupt and not want to be corrupt”.

Under Chinese President Xi Jinping, there has been a widespread crackdown on officials, extending into sport.

Just as Zhang Xin came in on 8 September, CBA vice-president Xia Xuanze was removed from his post.

Xia, an Olympic bronze medallist in 2000, was placed under investigation for suspected “serious violations of the law” in August.

China is a badminton superpower and consistently the most successful country in the sport at the Olympics.

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