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SCMP Sport

Agence France-Presse

China’s top anti-corruption body said on Wednesday it was investigating the head of the country’s badminton association for “serious violations of discipline and law”.
Olympic gold medallist Zhang Jun, chairman of the Chinese Badminton Association (CBA) and vice-president of the Nanjing Sport Institute, has been placed “under disciplinary review”, it said on its website.
Jun is also being investigated by the Nantong Municipal Supervisory Commission in eastern Jiangsu province, the statement added.
The statement by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission did not give details on why Zhang was being probed but said he was “suspected of serious violations of discipline and law” – a phrase commonly used in China when referring to corruption.
Since coming to power, President Xi Jinping has pushed to root out graft – an effort that has intensified in recent months.
Zhang Youxia, a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) – China’s top military body headed by Xi – and a member of the Politburo, was placed under investigation in January.
Another Politburo official, Ma Xingrui, was probed too, Chinese state media reported in April.
Badminton chief Zhang Jun won two Olympic badminton mixed-doubles gold medals at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Games.

He joined the national team’s coaching staff after he retired in 2007, before becoming the CBA’s president in 2019. In August 2023, Zhang was re-elected as president during the association’s seventh general membership meeting.
Rumours had swirled when Zhang was not seen recently, with the hashtag “Badminton Association Chairman Zhang Jun Missing” garnering more than 55 million views on Weibo.
Zhang missed the start of the Chinese men’s and women’s national teams competing at the BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals in Denmark last Friday.
According to a recent story by a Chinese newspaper, several insiders revealed that the investigation was primarily related to matters during his tenure at the CBA, along with his work in Jiangsu province.
The newspaper shared on Friday that its reporter attempted to call Zhang’s mobile phone multiple times over several days, but it was switched off.
Staff members at the CBA told the reporter that they were unaware of Zhang’s situation and did not know whether he usually worked at the office.
Administrative staff at the Nanjing Sport Institute also said that they were unclear about his status.
The facility is the only higher education institution for sports in the province and is co-managed by the provincial sports bureau and the education department.


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Olympic gold medallist Zhang Jun, who is also vice-president of Nanjing Sport Institute, has been placed ‘under disciplinary review’


Olympic gold medallist Zhang Jun, who is also vice-president of Nanjing Sport Institute, has been placed ‘under disciplinary review’.


China’s anti-corruption body probes badminton association chief Zhang Jun

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Olympic gold medallist Zhang Jun, who is also vice-president of Nanjing Sport Institute, has been placed ‘under disciplinary review’

Olympic gold medallist Zhang Jun, who is also vice-president of Nanjing Sport Institute, has been placed ‘under disciplinary review’