The deal has seen Li-Ning provide new uniforms for ITTF umpires and referees starting from the Liebherr 2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships held in Halmstad, Sweden from 29 April to 6 May 2018, as well as three ITTF World Tour events (Hong Kong, China & Japan) earlier in June, and will gradually roll out to all ITTF events between 2018 and 2020 including the ITTF World Tour and World Cups.
ITTF Head of Sponsorships Kimberly KOH stated “It is great to welcome leading sports apparel brand Li-Ning into the ITTF Family with their sponsorship of the umpire and referee shirts. We look forward to showcasing this new modern and sporty design from Li-Ning to our 350 million TV viewers and millions more social media fans globally.”
The new uniform for umpires and referees will include long and short sleeved polo shirts to give officials a more approachable and smart casual look at ITTF events.
Li-Ning’s manager of brand project management center Mr ZHANG Xiangdu shared “Since our establishment in 1990, the concept of “consumer experience” has always been one criteria behind the design of each of our products to ensure utmost comfort and best experience for our consumers with our products. Having sponsored and contributed to the success of several top teams such as the Chinese Table Tennis Team, Chinese Shooting Team, and the Chinese Diving Team, we are very excited about this new collaboration with the ITTF to bring a more pleasant and professional experience for referees and staff at top table tennis events worldwide.”
ITTF Umpires & Referees Committee (URC) Chair MA Young-Sam added “Smart, sporty and comfortable! Finally, we have new uniforms for umpires and referees. They look smart and sporty, and most importantly they are very comfortable. I am sure that the new uniforms will make the playing area brighter and happier. Many thanks to our sponsor Li-Ning for materializing the URC’s longtime project.”
Fans around the world will see these new umpires uniforms next at the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Korea Open on 19-22 July 2018.