Li-Ning will be the exclusive apparel partner of WTT, the commercial entity of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), under the terms of the agreement.

It will provide clothing for referees, umpires, ball kids, ITTF and WTT staff and officials at major events including the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Houston, set to run from November 23 to 29. 

The company has been the official ITTF umpire and referee apparel sponsor since 2018, and was also the apparel supplier of all officials at the table tennis event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

"In 2018, the partnership with Li-Ning was a historical one," said WTT managing director Matt Pound. 

"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."

Zhang Xiangdu, general manager of the Li-Ning brand project management centre, also welcomed the extended agreement with WTT.

"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," said Zhang.

"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."