New Delhi : Sunlight Sports Pte Limited, Singapore, in association with Indo Rubber and Plastic Works (“Indo Rubber”), India, has entered into a collaboration with China’s iconic sports brand, “LI-NING”, to introduce their products in India.

LI-NING is one of the world’s largest sporting brands, and sponsors the Chinese National Badminton Team and many leading players including World and Olympic Champion, Lin Dan.

LI-NING offers a full range of the highest specification rackets, footwear, luggage, apparel and accessories which are used and endorsed by leading players across all disciplines

The LI-NING brand was founded in 1990 by world-renowned gymnast and 6 times Olympic medalist (1984), Mr. Li Ning. Since then, the Company has grown to become a publicly traded entity and one of China’s leading sports brand enterprises.

The LI-NING brand products mainly include footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for sport and leisure uses.

The launch will highlight the brand’s recent success in its venture to manufacture and sell top-of-the-range professional, badminton apparel and equipment, under its LI-NING and Kason brands.

Sunlight Sports and Indo Rubber will showcase LI-NING and Kason’s badminton products across four main categories – Footwear, Apparel, Equipment and Accessories, thus allowing the brand to capture a broad demographic group of sports and wellness enthusiasts.

As part of its global expansion strategy, the LI-NING brand successfully debuted and marketed itself in the US market earlier this year and is expected to take the Indian sports market by storm in the same way.

Given the success of the LI-NING brand globally and its potential for success in India, Business Head of LI-NING India, Mr. Ram Malhotra believes that, “The Indian market is ready for LI-NING. The brand has been iconic to the Chinese sports industry for decades and has also successfully risen to the challenge globally. We believe the strength of the brand lies in its unshakable desire to provide high-quality, innovative sports equipment, apparel and footwear, which will now be available to consumers across India.”

Combining an imitable passion for sports and a mission to ‘inspire people’s desire and power to strike breakthroughs, LI-NING, lives its vision by sponsoring some of the world’s biggest and best athletes and sports teams including, the US and Chinese Table Tennis National teams; 15-time US All-Star NBA basketball sensation, Shaquille O’Neal (now retired); and the reigning Olympic men’s singles badminton champion from China, Lin Dan.

In India, LI-NING is the proud sponsor of athletes such as Jwala Gutta, a 13-time National Badminton Champion; and Chetan Anand, an Arjuna Awardee and  4-time National Badminton Champion.

On a more grassroots scale the brand undertakes various sponsorship projects with local badminton and sports academies across India. Head of Sunlight Sports and sales and promotions in-charge of LI-NING, South-East Asia, Mr. Mahendar Kapoor explains, “We want to focus on promoting badminton in India because LI-NING has such a strong brand presence and association globally with this sport, and because of the potential for growth of badminton in India. We [LI-NING] currently sponsor 8 badminton academies across India including, the Nikhil Kanetkar Badminton Academy in Pune, and the Regional Sports Centre in Cochin.”

In addition to sponsorship projects, the brand also partakes in exchange programs with the Indian sponsored academies that allow young badminton athletes to visit and train in a world-class environment in China, Singapore and Malaysia.

Recognizing the brand’s passion to promote sport activities s in communities across India, Mr. Malhotra commented, “LI-NING began as a vision by one of the greatest athletes that China or the world has ever seen. So unsurprisingly, the brand has always been passionate about supporting local athletes who have the drive to succeed. We want the Indian market to view the brand wholly, which promotes the growth of such sports as badminton in India. We believe that the brand’s power coupled with Indo Rubber’s extensive distribution network will be integral to achieving this in India.”

The guests attending the launch function include Mr. S. M. Arif, a recipient of the Donacharya Award and a nominee of the Padma Shri Award for his invaluable contribution to the sport of badminton; Mr. Nikhil Kanetkar, one of the most reputed badminton coaches in India; and Mr. Anup Sridhar, known to be amongst the elite badminton sportsmen in the world, having represented India at both the World Championship and Olympic-levels. Also attending the event will be, Mr. T. C. Mathew, an Honorary Secretary of the Kerala Cricket Association and a member of the BCCI.