(12 January 2007 – Hong Kong) – Li Ning Company Limited (“Li Ning” or the “Group”; stock code: 2331), one of the leading sports brand enterprises in China, announces an agreement with the Argentina basketball federation Confederación Argentina de Basquet (“CABB”) that sets a major milestone for its international brand expansion. Pursuant to the agreement, Li Ning, as the official partner of CABB, will sponsor a series of specially designed sports apparel for the men’s and women’s Argentina National Basketball Teams for training, competition and award presentation purposes.
The men’s and women’s Argentina National Basketball Teams will wear Li Ning apparel at major international sports events such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics. Manu Ginobili of San Antonio Spurs, the top NBA player from Argentina, will also wear Li Ning apparel at contests serving the National Basketball Team of Argentina.
The agreement with the Argentina National Basketball Team is another remarkable accomplishment by Li Ning in expanding collaboration with professional basketball associations for marketing purposes that follows the agreement Li Ning entered into with the Spanish Basketball Federation. In 2006, the men’s Spain National Team achieved the best-ever results and won the FIBA World Championship in the same year. As the National Teams of Spain and Argentina are regarded as two of the hottest gold medal winning teams at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, sports lovers will witness the excellent performance of these two world champion teams, both of whom will be wearing their specially designed Li Ning apparel.
Commenting on the agreement, Mr. Zhang Zhiyong, CEO of Li Ning, said, “The cooperation with the world champion Argentina National Basketball Teams is an important step in our international brand expansion strategy. It is also an endorsement to the professional quality of our sports products by the world’s top national teams. We have chosen basketball as a strategic entry point in our branding strategy mainly because of the growing popularity of this sport internationally, and in particular in China where the number of basketball fans has grown rapidly over the years. It has drawn widespread attention and formed an effective platform for us to increase our brand awareness.”
About Li Ning Company Limited
Li Ning Company Limited (stock code: 2331) (the “Group”) is one of the leading sports brand enterprises in the PRC. It has its own branding, research and development, design, manufacturing, distribution and retail capabilities. The Group’s products include sports footwear, apparel and accessories for sport and leisure use which are primarily sold under its own LI-NING brand. The Group has established an extensive distribution and retail network in the PRC, of which distributors will manage the franchised LI-NING retail outlets under the Group’s supervision. The Group also directly manages its own LI-NING retail stores and concessions. In addition, the Group has set up a joint venture in the PRC with the French company, AIGLE International S.A. (“AIGLE”) in 2005 under which the joint venture enterprise has been given the exclusive right by AIGLE to manufacture, market, distribute and sell for 50 years in the PRC, outdoor sports products that bear the “AIGLE” trademark registered and owned by AIGLE International S.A.
- End -
For further information, please contact:
iPR ASIA LTD
www.iprasia.com
Katie Tsui/Antonia Au/Harriet Lau
Tel:(852)21366955/31706750
Fax:(852)21366068
Email: katietsui@iprasia.com.hk/antoniaau@ipriasia.com.hk/harrietlau@iprasia.com.hk |
