The start of 2019 brought double delight for India’s badminton star Kidambi Srikanth who not only won the Premier Badminton League (PBL) with Hyderabad Raptors but also signed a multi-year 35-crore sports sponsorship deal with Chinese brand Li-Ning on Monday.
“I am honoured to be the face of Li Ning in India and globally. I love their products and I’m really looking forward to stepping on the court with a renewed vigor to accomplish few more goals that I have set for myself & keep bring laurels for my country,” Srikanth said in a media release.
Kidambi Srikanth is the only Indian badminton player to have won six Super Series badminton event. (Photo: Instagram)
Mahender Kapoor the director of Sunlight Sports Pvt Ltd, the multinational exclusive partner of the Chinese brand in India said, “Srikanth is among the top badminton players in the world and already the most accomplished Indian male badminton player and a World No 1 player. Li Ning stands for quality and consistency and Srikanth fits the bill perfectly. We want to play our part in helping Srikanth achieve a lot more going forward”.
Kidambi Srikanth is managed by sports marketing firm Baseline Ventures, which was instrumental in getting the tie-up in place. (Photo: Instagram/Kidambi Srikanth)
Li-Ning was the official sponsor of the Indian contingent at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and continues to be the official apparel partner for the national side till the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Srikanth is not the only Indian to sign for the Chinese brand, In 2014 PV Sindhi also entered into a two-year lucrative deal with the same brand after not renewing her contract with Yonex.
