Lu Jun, one of China’s most beloved referees, was arrested last week along with two other refs under suspicion of match fixing. Depending on the amount of money involved, Lu may face the death penalty for his crimes. Police, however, have not made an official statement about why the arrests were made.

Al Jazeera: China referees arrested over graft

Last week, Chinese police arrested three football referees on suspicion of match-fixing. Among the men detained is Lu Jun, one of China’s leading referees. Lu officiated hundreds matches before retiring in 2005, and earned the nickname the “golden whistle” for his integrity during an earlier match fixing scandal.

Lu’s sentence will depend on the amount of money involved in the betting scandal, but as a public servant, if he is found guilty of taking money, he may face the death penalty.

Wei Di, head of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), said he was “shocked” and “hurt” by the news of Lu’s arrest.

“He is undoubtedly a first-rate referee in terms of working ability, but his morals are a far cry from his ‘golden whistle’ reputation,” he said.

Facing intense pressure from China’s leaders, Wei is cracking down on match-fixing and corruption in Chinese football. He took over for as head of the CFA after his predecessor was arrested as part of an investigation into corruption in the game.

China Daily: Match fixing: 3 referees arrested

Three Chinese soccer referees, including the famous “golden whistle” Lu Jun, have been arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes.

Lu Jun, Zhou Weixin and Huang Junjie have been arrested,” said soccer chief Wei Di. “I was really shocked and hurt when Lu’s name cropped up in the scandal. He is undoubtedly a first-rate referee in terms of working ability, but his morals are a far cry from his ‘golden whistle’ reputation,” Wei said.

Lu was named the “best referee” in the league’s first decade. He was also named “Referee of the Year” twice by the Asian Football Confederation.

“We don’t know what sentences they will get But we can see these referees must have contributed to the problem of match fixing and manipulation,” Wei said, but the punishment for State servants found guilty of accepting bribes of more than 100,000 yuan ($14,705) is a minimum of 10 years up to death, according to Chinese law.

Reuters: China chief ‘hurt’ by match-fixing arrest of ‘golden’ ref

Chinese Football Association (CFA) chief Wei Di was “shocked” and “hurt” by the arrest of World Cup referee Lu Jun last week. Lu was dubbed the “golden whistle” for his integrity during the “black whistles” scandal some eight years ago.

One of three referees arrested, Lu faces punishments that could range from an administrative sanction to the death penalty, depending on the amount of money involved in the scandal.

The others referees detained were retired 45-year-old Guangzhou official Zhou Weixin and Huang Junjie, an active FIFA international referee.

Police have not told CFA chief Wei why the three officials were arrested. Wei took over as chief after his predecessor Nan Yong was arrested during another Chinese football scandal.

Lu Jun, one of China’s most beloved referees, was arrested last week along with two other refs under suspicion of match fixing. Depending on the amount of money involved, Lu may face the death penalty for his crimes. Police, however, have not made an official statement about why the arrests were made.

Al Jazeera: China referees arrested over graft

Last week, Chinese police arrested three football referees on suspicion of match-fixing. Among the men detained is Lu Jun, one of China’s leading referees. Lu officiated hundreds matches before retiring in 2005, and earned the nickname the “golden whistle” for his integrity during an earlier match fixing scandal.

Lu’s sentence will depend on the amount of money involved in the betting scandal, but as a public servant, if he is found guilty of taking money, he may face the death penalty.

Wei Di, head of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), said he was “shocked” and “hurt” by the news of Lu’s arrest.

“He is undoubtedly a first-rate referee in terms of working ability, but his morals are a far cry from his ‘golden whistle’ reputation,” he said.

Facing intense pressure from China’s leaders, Wei is cracking down on match-fixing and corruption in Chinese football. He took over for as head of the CFA after his predecessor was arrested as part of an investigation into corruption in the game.

China Daily: Match fixing: 3 referees arrested

Three Chinese soccer referees, including the famous “golden whistle” Lu Jun, have been arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes.

Lu Jun, Zhou Weixin and Huang Junjie have been arrested,” said soccer chief Wei Di. “I was really shocked and hurt when Lu’s name cropped up in the scandal. He is undoubtedly a first-rate referee in terms of working ability, but his morals are a far cry from his ‘golden whistle’ reputation,” Wei said.

Lu was named the “best referee” in the league’s first decade. He was also named “Referee of the Year” twice by the Asian Football Confederation.

“We don’t know what sentences they will get But we can see these referees must have contributed to the problem of match fixing and manipulation,” Wei said, but the punishment for State servants found guilty of accepting bribes of more than 100,000 yuan ($14,705) is a minimum of 10 years up to death, according to Chinese law.

Reuters: China chief ‘hurt’ by match-fixing arrest of ‘golden’ ref

Chinese Football Association (CFA) chief Wei Di was “shocked” and “hurt” by the arrest of World Cup referee Lu Jun last week. Lu was dubbed the “golden whistle” for his integrity during the “black whistles” scandal some eight years ago.

One of three referees arrested, Lu faces punishments that could range from an administrative sanction to the death penalty, depending on the amount of money involved in the scandal.

The others referees detained were retired 45-year-old Guangzhou official Zhou Weixin and Huang Junjie, an active FIFA international referee.

Police have not told CFA chief Wei why the three officials were arrested. Wei took over as chief after his predecessor Nan Yong was arrested during another Chinese football scandal.

A new style of lottery tickets has emerged in China. The tickets bear colorful portraits of the ancient philosopher Confucius, along with proverbs form his work The Analects. If the proverbs on a ticket match those drawn by lottery operators, the player wins a cash prize. The new lottery is bringing a lot of criticism by people who find this use of Confucius’ teachings distasteful.

China Daily: Confucius lottery tickets draw ire

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher who encouraged people to seek their fortunes in a noble manner. Ironically, his portrait and words of wisdom can now be found printed on lottery tickets, which are the only form of gambling allowed by the Chinese government.

Last month, lottery vendors in China’s Shandong province started selling these new Confucius tickets which offer a top prize of 300,000 yuan (about $44,000).

The new lottery tickets have enraged bloggers and columnists across the internet who claim that the lottery tickets are tarnishing the image of the wise man who lived more than 2,000 years ago.

Lottery officials are surprised. Tang Nianbing, a manager at Shandong’s lottery center, defended the company against accusations that they are using Confucius to promote sales. “The center is not trying to influence the sale of their lotteries (by using Confucius’ image), ” he said.

“The Confucius-themed lotteries are the country’s most real culture-centered tickets,” wrote Tang in an article that introduced the lottery. “Its cultural content will erect a milestone in the development of our country’s lotteries.”

The Shandong area was home to Confucius about 2,500 years ago. Several different tickets from the Shandong lottery center of are printed with the cultural themes from region.

The Washington Post: Critics question wisdom of Confucius-brand lottery

China’s official lottery is now offering Confucius-themed lottery tickets adorned with colorful drawings of the ancient philosopher. The tickets have promoted discussion over whether the combination of gambling and his teachings is appropriate.

According to the lottery’s website, the Confucius tickets are intended to teach players about ancient Chinese culture, and to help people live a “healthy, wholesome life.” The site also reports that the Ministry of Finance approved the program, which launched last week in Confucius’ hometown of Qufu.

Critics of the program see gambling standing at odds the spirit of Confucius’ teachings. One anonymous critic on a Chinese forum cited a Confucian proverb, “The gentleman sees righteousness, the petty man sees profit.”

This state-run lottery is the only form of gambling allowed in China. A single Confucius-themed ticket costs 10 yuan (about $1.50) and scratching the ticket reveals a quote from “The Analects,” a compilation of the philosopher’s works. The grand prize ticket is worth 300,000 yuan ($44,000) and will read, “Of all rituals, harmony is the most valuable.”

Global Times: Confucius is a brand name in hometown lottery promo

A picture is worth a thousand words in China’s first welfare lottery based on the ancient philosopher Confucius. His picture and words can also be worth 300,000 yuan ($43,936) if they appear on a winning lottery ticket.

A portrait of Confucius along with sayings of the legendary philosopher show up on lottery tickets that went on sale last week in Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, located in East China’s Shandong Province.

Each ticket is printed with proverbs from The Analects, Confucius’ most famous work. If the sayings on a player’s ticket match the ones drawn by the lottery center, the player wins cash.

The top prize lottery ticket, worth 300,000 yuan ($43,936), will read, “Of all rituals, harmony is the most valuable.”

China’s lottery center believes these new tickets can help educate people about the wisdom of Confucius, but many commenters think it is distasteful to use the ancient philosopher’s words and portrait for profit.

Tang Nianbing, who works in the marketing office of the Shandong Welfare Lottery Center, believes the tickets are a valuable teaching tool. “Everyone in China knows Confucius and The Analects, but not everyone can recite three sentences from it,” said Tang. “People who buy lottery tickets will have a chance to remember several sentences from The Analects, which is a win-win situation.”

Not everyone agrees. An internet poll conducted on a popular Chinese website showed that out of 1,869 voters, 52.6 percent disapproved of a Confucius-themed lottery. Only 4.2 percent were undecided.

A new style of lottery tickets has emerged in China. The tickets bear colorful portraits of the ancient philosopher Confucius, along with proverbs form his work The Analects. If the proverbs on a ticket match those drawn by lottery operators, the player wins a cash prize. The new lottery is bringing a lot of criticism by people who find this use of Confucius’ teachings distasteful.

China Daily: Confucius lottery tickets draw ire

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher who encouraged people to seek their fortunes in a noble manner. Ironically, his portrait and words of wisdom can now be found printed on lottery tickets, which are the only form of gambling allowed by the Chinese government.

Last month, lottery vendors in China’s Shandong province started selling these new Confucius tickets which offer a top prize of 300,000 yuan (about $44,000).

The new lottery tickets have enraged bloggers and columnists across the internet who claim that the lottery tickets are tarnishing the image of the wise man who lived more than 2,000 years ago.

Lottery officials are surprised. Tang Nianbing, a manager at Shandong’s lottery center, defended the company against accusations that they are using Confucius to promote sales. “The center is not trying to influence the sale of their lotteries (by using Confucius’ image), ” he said.

“The Confucius-themed lotteries are the country’s most real culture-centered tickets,” wrote Tang in an article that introduced the lottery. “Its cultural content will erect a milestone in the development of our country’s lotteries.”

The Shandong area was home to Confucius about 2,500 years ago. Several different tickets from the Shandong lottery center of are printed with the cultural themes from region.

The Washington Post: Critics question wisdom of Confucius-brand lottery

China’s official lottery is now offering Confucius-themed lottery tickets adorned with colorful drawings of the ancient philosopher. The tickets have promoted discussion over whether the combination of gambling and his teachings is appropriate.

According to the lottery’s website, the Confucius tickets are intended to teach players about ancient Chinese culture, and to help people live a “healthy, wholesome life.” The site also reports that the Ministry of Finance approved the program, which launched last week in Confucius’ hometown of Qufu.

Critics of the program see gambling standing at odds the spirit of Confucius’ teachings. One anonymous critic on a Chinese forum cited a Confucian proverb, “The gentleman sees righteousness, the petty man sees profit.”

This state-run lottery is the only form of gambling allowed in China. A single Confucius-themed ticket costs 10 yuan (about $1.50) and scratching the ticket reveals a quote from “The Analects,” a compilation of the philosopher’s works. The grand prize ticket is worth 300,000 yuan ($44,000) and will read, “Of all rituals, harmony is the most valuable.”

Global Times: Confucius is a brand name in hometown lottery promo

A picture is worth a thousand words in China’s first welfare lottery based on the ancient philosopher Confucius. His picture and words can also be worth 300,000 yuan ($43,936) if they appear on a winning lottery ticket.

A portrait of Confucius along with sayings of the legendary philosopher show up on lottery tickets that went on sale last week in Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, located in East China’s Shandong Province.

Each ticket is printed with proverbs from The Analects, Confucius’ most famous work. If the sayings on a player’s ticket match the ones drawn by the lottery center, the player wins cash.

The top prize lottery ticket, worth 300,000 yuan ($43,936), will read, “Of all rituals, harmony is the most valuable.”

China’s lottery center believes these new tickets can help educate people about the wisdom of Confucius, but many commenters think it is distasteful to use the ancient philosopher’s words and portrait for profit.

Tang Nianbing, who works in the marketing office of the Shandong Welfare Lottery Center, believes the tickets are a valuable teaching tool. “Everyone in China knows Confucius and The Analects, but not everyone can recite three sentences from it,” said Tang. “People who buy lottery tickets will have a chance to remember several sentences from The Analects, which is a win-win situation.”

Not everyone agrees. An internet poll conducted on a popular Chinese website showed that out of 1,869 voters, 52.6 percent disapproved of a Confucius-themed lottery. Only 4.2 percent were undecided.