That 48 people involved in soccer scandals were sentenced to different prison terms last week, not only points to the achievements of the fight against corruption and crime in the field, but also to how rotten Chinese soccer was.

Among the convicted are referees, soccer club managers and officials in the government department governing soccer clubs. It obviously took time for the corruption to develop to such a serious state, with so many people involved. No wonder that the majority of Chinese soccer fans have been so disappointed at the performance of the national soccer team.

But compared with the conviction of a single referee in the aborted fight against gambling and match fixing in Chinese soccer a decade ago, there is enough reason to applaud the latest anti-corruption campaign and to have some confidence that the convictions of these bad apples will deter others who might have been tempted to follow their example.

It is natural to have a number of corrupt elements when so much money is involved in the sport, and even more in the gambling that surrounds it. And criminals will take advantage of these bad apples to obtain their dirty money by fixing the results of matches.

The scandals uncovered show that there have been under-the-table rules for referees, club managers and relevant soccer officials to follow when it comes to game fixing or even the selection of players on national teams. Even ordinary soccer players knew how to collaborate with club managers or referees to have the result of a game fixed.

Several government officials are still waiting to be tried for their involvement. But the public's concern rests on whether there will be a fundamental change for the better in Chinese soccer. It was the consensus of the majority of the public that, even before such corrupt elements were arrested, a thorough clean-up was necessary to create a clean environment for the development of Chinese soccer.

That some of the biggest clubs involved in the scandals have been left untouched by the legal actions seems to have disappointed quite a proportion of fans and some people have expressed doubt that the trials will be able to turn over a new leaf for the sport.

Just as it obviously took time for corruption to develop to such a serious extent, it will also take time for a clean environment to be cultivated. However, these trials have set a precedent not just for soccer but also for other sports.

(China Daily 02/21/2012 page8)