Du Zhaocai, the former deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of China and former Party secretary of the Chinese Football Association, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to accepting bribes totaling over 43 million yuan ($6.1 million). The plea was made during a public trial held by the Intermediate People's Court of Wuhan in central China's Hubei province.

Du, 64, admitted to his crimes and made a final statement in court. Sentencing will be announced at a later date, according to the court.

Prosecutors accused Du of using his various positions, including director of the track and field sports management center of the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC), a member of the GASC's leading Party members group, assistant director and deputy director of the GASC, and Party secretary and vice president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), to provide assistance to relevant units and individuals in matters such as event organization, personnel arrangements, and player transfers. In return, Du accepted more than 43.41 million yuan in cash and properties, either directly or through relatives and associates.

Prosecutors have recommended that Du be held criminally responsible for his actions. Over 20 people, including national lawmakers, political advisers, and journalists, attended the trial.

Du was placed under investigation in April 2023 and was expelled from the Party, removed from his posts, and arrested in October. The prosecution against him was initiated by prosecutors in Wuhan in January.

China's anti-corruption efforts in the sports sector have intensified since 2022, starting with an investigation into Li Tie, the former head coach of the Chinese men's soccer team. Several senior officials have since been investigated and sentenced, including Chen Xuyuan, the former president of the CFA, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in March, and Yu Hongchen, the former president of the Chinese Athletics Association, who received a 13-year prison term the same month.

In the past week, courts in Hubei have sentenced several former soccer officials as part of the ongoing anti-graft campaign in the sports field. Former CFA vice chairman Li Yuyi was sentenced to 11 years in prison, and former head of the CFA's competition department Huang Song received a seven-year jail term. Additionally, the courts heard cases involving four other former soccer officials, including Liu Yi, the former secretary-general of the CFA, and Tan Hai, the former director of the CFA's referee management department.