Recently, Chinese kayaking and dragon boat athlete Wang Li posted a video on social media, accusing the person in charge of the Songmao Sports Training Base in Yunnan Province, Mr. Fan, of demanding her competition prize money, sparking public attention.
According to mainland media reports, Wang Li won three gold medals at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. As per regulations, she received a 150,000 yuan competition prize money from the National Communist Party. Wang Li revealed that upon her return to the Songmao Sports Training Base in Yunnan Province, Mr. Fan demanded this prize money from her.
Wang Li is a kayaker from the Songmao Sports Training Base in Yunnan Province. In October 2023, she helped the national team win three gold medals in the women’s 12-person dragon boat 200m, 500m, and 1000m sprint races at the Hangzhou Asian Games, becoming Yunnan’s first triple gold medalist at the Asian Games.
In the video, Wang Li also mentioned that she had entrusted her bank card to her parents and did not pay the requested amount to Mr. Fan. She stated that after refusing to hand over the prize money, her situation at the training base changed dramatically.
“At that time, I had already given my bank card to my parents, not giving him the money, and he publicly accused me of being ‘filial’.” She expressed that she was subsequently degraded as “ungrateful” in a public meeting, gradually marginalized, and restricted in her training. Without her knowledge, her retirement documents were arbitrarily submitted, leading her to believe she was facing “retaliatory treatment”.
Yunnan Kunming has long been regarded as one of China’s crucial athlete training bases, especially noted for endurance events and high-altitude adaptation training. Mr. Wang, who previously worked in the local sports management sector, told reporters that the distribution of prize money has lacked transparency for a long time, with minimal disclosure of operational methods externally. Even if individuals feel dissatisfied, it is challenging to find effective channels for complaints or supervision.
Mr. Wang stated that under the current management system, athletes’ training, participation in competitions, prize money distribution, and retirement arrangements are mainly controlled by training units and project leaders, lacking external checks and balances. When disagreements arise between athletes and management personnel, they often find themselves at a disadvantage in training and personal development decisions.
Regarding controversies involving prize money and treatment, they are usually considered “internal matters” within the system, making it challenging for the outside world to discern specific processing procedures. Determining whether there is any violation often depends on internal investigation conclusions rather than public procedures.
Wang Li is a registered athlete in Yunnan’s sports system, having trained and competed within the provincial team system for years. She mentioned in the video that her daily affairs in the closed training environment had to be coordinated through the training base and management personnel.
Several netizens on social media platforms commented that the report involved specific amounts and clear accusations, but the official release did not disclose key details, making it difficult for outsiders to assess the handling level of the incident. Some also believed that determining whether illegal behavior occurred should be the responsibility of judicial authorities, rather than solely at the administrative level.
On January 10, 2026, the Yunnan Provincial Sports Bureau announced that after verification by the investigation team, the relevant circumstances were mostly true. The individuals involved have been dismissed, and the relevant departments have initiated an investigation. However, the announcement did not disclose the specific amount, method, or timeline of the prize money being demanded, nor did it specify if the case had entered judicial proceedings.
A coach who was a former Chinese Olympic female swimming gold medalist mentioned that Wang Li’s experience is not uncommon in the sports industry. Training base officials hold significant power in matters such as prize money distribution, training schedules, and competition arrangements, placing athletes in a relatively disadvantaged position within internal management relationships.
The coach mentioned that in some projects, instances where management personnel demand or request a share of the prize money from athletes have long existed in various forms – some through implications, others through direct demands. He remarked, “This is a black hole that tricks the athletes.”
Public records show that prize money distribution in competitive sports typically goes through internal processes within the Communist Party sports system, involving training units, project managers, and supervisory departments, with processes predominantly functioning internally and limited external oversight channels.
During discussions on the incident background, a financial officer from Qujing City, Mr. Bai, explained that in recent years, many areas in Yunnan have faced fiscal pressures, with some regions experiencing delayed wage payments. Some training bases are under significant financial strain in terms of fund allocations, yet the transparent explanation of fund utilization in such cases is lacking.
Previously, sports systems in various regions of mainland China have reported issues regarding irregularities by management personnel, with internal investigations and administrative penalties being the primary resolution methods, while some cases have not disclosed further progress.