ZHENGZHOU -- Xiao Tian, former deputy director of China's General Administration of Sport, was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison for corruption on Monday.

Xiao's personal assets worth 500,000 yuan ($72,000) will be confiscated, and his illegal gains turned over to the state.

Xiao took advantage of various posts from 1997 to 2014 to seek benefits for others.

He accepted bribes worth over 7.96 million yuan, according to the ruling.

Nanyang City Intermediate People's Court showed leniency as Xiao confessed to his crimes, including a large amount of details not yet known to police, expressed remorse and voluntarily returned his illegal gains.