Indian sports enthusiasts will soon have another option when looking for sporting goods – Chinese brand Li-Ning which is set to enter the market.

Li-Ning will enter Indian market through partnership with Singapore’s Sunlight Sports and India’s Indo Rubber and Plastic Works.

“The Indian market is ready for Li-Ning. 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 the country,” said Ram Malhotra, business head, Li-Ning India.

“We want the Indian market to view the brand wholly, which promotes the growth of such sports as badminton in India. The brand’s power coupled with Indo Rubber’s extensive distribution network will be integral to achieving this in the country.”

The brand established by Olympic medalist Li Ning in 1990 will offer sports apparel, footwear, accessories, luggage and rackets highlighting Li-Ning and Kason’s badminton apparel and accessories in support with local badminton and sports academies which it sponsors across India.

“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 currently sponsor eight badminton academies across India including the Nikhil Kanetkar Badminton Academy in Pune and the Regional Sports Centre in Cochin,” Mahendar Kapoor, head of Sunlight Sports, and sales and promotions in-charge of Li-Ning, South-East Asia, said.

Sunlight Sports is a Singapore-based exclusive distributor for various leading sports equipment brands for South East Asian countries and India while Indo Rubber and Plastic Works is one of India’s renowned sports goods manufacturer.

GB