China’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign has led to a series of arrests of sports officials, including Xie Yalong, the former vice president of the Chinese Football Association who was taken away by police on September 6th. The stakes were raised again yesterday when the media broke the story that Nike China’s marketing director Li Tong, a former ace huddler and US green card holder, had been taken into police custody in Shenyang for questioning.
The newspaper speculated that the Li’s detention has to do with a ten-year Chinese Super League sponsorship contract for which Nike paid US$200 million. By comparison, CSL’s former sponsor, Adidas, disbursed US$500 million for a six-year tenure. The low price has given rise to speculations of bribery and corruption.
- Oriental Guardian (Chinese): Nike China marketing director detained, suspected of involvement in China succor scandal