The China Football Association (CFA) has set up a joint task force with the nation's police in an effort to stamp out rampant corruption, including gambling and match fixing, Beijing News reported yesterday. The task force, co-chaired by Wu Mingshan, a senior police official in charge of public order, and CFA deputy director Nan Yong, will investigate illicit activities in China's top soccer league.

The main duties of the group will also be "to align anti-gambling rules with State laws and regulations, and set the expansion and regulation of an anti-gambling system throughout the sport," the paper said.

Discussions are currently being held to recruit members of the judicial ministry to crack down more efficiently on sports betting and cheating among players, coaches and referees.

The top ranked super league in the country has been wracked by a series of corruption scandals that have left stadiums empty and sponsors abandoning the game.

Last year, Asian Football Confederation chief Peter Velappan warned that corruption in China's football league could destroy the game here and urged football officials to do more to curb rampant gambling.

"The government must investigate the allegations of corruption and eliminate this scourge in Chinese soccer," Velappan said.

"I have warned them. The government must actively investigate this and eliminate the scourge of corruption in Chinese football. If they don't then it will kill football in China."

(China Daily 10/02/2006 page2)