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Probe begins into rigged games, bets

By Zheng Caixiong (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-05 08:14

GUANGZHOU: A city soccer official and a former senior executive of a soccer club are being investigated for illegally betting on games.

Both Yang Xu, an official from the Guangzhou Football Association, and Wu Xiaodong, former deputy general manager of Guangzhou Yiyao Club, have been detained and are being questioned by police in Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning province, according to Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolis Daily.

The pair, who were suspected of rigging games in 2006, were investigated after police in Liaoning recently busted a gambling gang that controlled the domestic matches of the Chinese Super League (CSL).

But police from Liaoning province refused to reveal more about the cases, saying they are being handled by the Ministry of Public Security.

Yang was also deputy general manager of Guangzhou Yiyao Club and manager of the soccer team when Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited took over ownership in 2006.

Yang and Wu left the club after the team failed to be promoted to the CSL at the end of 2006.

Xie Zhiguang, director of general office of Guangzhou Football Association, said he did not know much about their cases.

But an executive from Guangzhou Yiyao Club confirmed some executives from his club, including Wu, are being investigated because they were suspected of illegally betting in previous years.

However, he refused to reveal more about the cases, adding the club would cooperate with the investigation.

The Ministry of Public Security established a special task force to investigate rigged games in September 2006, when rumors of illegalities hampered the development of the country's soccer industry and seriously damaged the image of the CSL.