China’s Former Sports Minister Gou Zhongwen Sentenced to Death With Two-Year Reprieve Over $33.4m Bribery

China’s former Minister of Sport, Gou Zhongwen, has been handed a death sentence with a two-year reprieve after a high-level court found him guilty of accepting $33.4 million in bribes and abusing the powers of his office.

The verdict, delivered by a court in Hebei Province, stated that Gou leveraged his influential positions within China’s sporting institutions to secure illicit financial gains, approve fraudulent contracts, and manipulate major sports-related decisions for personal benefit.

Investigators said his actions gravely undermined the integrity of China’s sports administration.

According to court documents, Gou’s crimes were “particularly serious” and caused “significant damage to national interests,” prompting the rare and severe sentence.

Under Chinese law, a death sentence with a reprieve is often commuted to life imprisonment if the convict demonstrates good behavior during the two-year probation period.

Gou previously served as head of the General Administration of Sport of China and was a key figure in preparations for multiple international sporting events, including the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

His downfall is part of China’s broader anti-corruption campaign targeting government agencies, state-backed institutions, and major sports bodies.

The ruling signals Beijing’s continued zero-tolerance stance on corruption within public offices, especially in sectors that carry national visibility and international prestige.