Chinese sports officials vow to implement bold reforms in the fight against corruption - even if this would mean dropping the obsession for gold medals.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection had released a report by the State General Administration of Sports (GASC) detailing problems that lead to corruption, fraud and match-fixing.

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Sports authorities said China's desire for gold medals has led to some athletes and coaches pursuing top ranks, even at the expense of sportsmanship and fair play.

"The unscrupulous, illegal and fraudulent pursuit of gold medals not only distorts the spirit of sport, but also hurts career development and national interests," the agency said in a statement.

"It undermines the image of sport and is contrary to its value. We must resolutely oppose this and effectively eliminate it," it added.

Sports regulators had listed measures that will help resolve match-fixing and fraud.

The commission wants the process of athlete recruitment and referee appointments to be transparent.

"The participating teams will no longer be ranked by the medals they win at the National Games in the future", GASC said in a statement.

"The performance of the sports administration will be assessed on multiple criteria, including public participation in sports and cost efficiency of public sports investments," it added.

Gold medals won by China in international sports competitions such as the Olympics and the National Games are known to boost officials' credentials and the country's morale.

It even goes as far as improving the country's economy.

The system had been a subject of criticism in recent years.  Many have called for reforms, to make sports more enjoyable.