Two Chinese collegiate championship teams have been stripped of their titles and banned for three years for faking players' ages and recruiting professional athlete, the Chinese University Basketball Association (CUBA) announced in Beijing on Tuesday.

The men's team from the Electronics Science and Technology University and the women's team of Wuhan Science and Technology University - both inaugural CUBA champions - violated the regulations by hiring two players who were above the age-limit and one registered professional.

"To guarantee the purity of CUBA and the principle of fair play in university sports, we have no other choice but to impose harsh sanctions on the two title winners," CUBA official Zhang Ningfei said.

He admitted that the investigation and decision-making process had been difficult.

However, he said: "With support from the other teams, we were determined to do something despite enormous pressure, especially from Wuhan's team, who are one of the founding members of the CUBA league."

Nowadays in Chinese sports circle, it requires great courage for sports authorities to settle cases of cheating.

The Chinese Football Association has tried to catch referees, players, and even teams cheating during games, but it is hard and the association is at its wits' end. The cheating has also enraged the media as well as football fans.

It is hoped that the bravery of CUBA may inspire both insiders and outsiders to eliminate immoral deeds in other sporting events. (Xinhua)