World Table Tennis Extends Global Partnership With Li-Ning
November 2, 2021
World Table Tennis (WTT), the commercial entity of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has announced an extension of the global partnership with Chinese apparel brand Li-Ning until 2022.
As China’s esteemed sportswear and sports equipment company, Li-Ning is currently a partner of the Chinese Table Tennis Association. Under the new deal with WTT, the Chinese sports giant will look to further expand its influence in international table tennis, at the same time working with WTT to promote top commercial table tennis events in China.
Li-Ning has been the Official ITTF Umpire & Referee Apparel Sponsor since 2018, and was also Officials’ Apparel Supplier of the table tennis event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Through its close collaboration with ITTF, Li-Ning has played a key role in modernising and standardising the referees, umpires and ball kids kit in international table tennis events.
The new deal will set Li-Ning as the exclusive apparel partner of WTT, further deepening its involvement in table tennis. The brand will provide apparels for referees, umpires, ball kids, ITTF and WTT staff and officials at top international events, including the upcoming 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Houston, the first-ever to be hosted in America.
Li-Ning will also be redesigning a fresh look for officials at the rebranded WTT Series, and receive branding and activation opportunities at key events and markets.
Zhang Xiangdu, General Manager of the Li-Ning Brand Project Management Centre said: “Table tennis is a core part of Li-Ning’s business, and we are glad to have witnessed the growth in the sport first-hand since getting involved with ITTF in 2018. In the last years, the ITTF set up WTT to take table tennis to new heights, and we are thrilled to continue working with WTT to further promote table tennis at a global level, at the same time delivering a reimagined table tennis experience to fans. The professionalism and dedication of the officials, ball kids and staff are core to the success of table tennis globally, and Li-Ning is proud to provide attractive and comfortable apparel for their demanding work using cut-through technologies and materials.”
Matt Pound, WTT Managing Director said: “In 2018, the partnership with Li-Ning was a historical one. For the first time, the ITTF and the Umpire and Referee Committee had worked with a global apparel supplier to professionalise officials’ apparels. This extended partnership marks the transition to a new era, where we share the vision of reimagining and redefining table tennis globally. We believe this is just a start, and we look forward to many more years of deeper collaboration as we further drive the sport to greater heights.”
