World Table Tennis (WTT), of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), has announced an extension of its partnership with Chinese apparel brand Li-Ning until 2022.
Under the new deal with WTT, the company looks to expand its influence in international table tennis, at the same time working to promote commercial table tennis events in China.
Matt Pound, WTT Managing Director, commented: “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.”
Furthermore, the collaboration now sees Li-Ning as the exclusive apparel partner of WTT, in a bid to ‘further deepen its involvement’ in table tennis.
The brand promises to 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, which is the first-ever to be hosted in America.
Zhang Xiangdu, General Manager of the Li-Ning Brand Project Management Centre, noted: “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 company claims that it will also be redesigning a ‘fresh look’ for officials at the rebranded WTT Series, and therefore receive branding and activation opportunities at key events and markets.
“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,” Xiangdu added.
Other partners of the WTT include Wilson, USTA, Geico and Har-Tru, to name a few.
