In what could be its biggest get yet, China's leading sportswear brand, Li Ning, signed NBA rookie Evan Turner to an endorsement deal Monday. Turner, the 2010 NCAA National Player of the Year, was selected second overall in the draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Li Ning already has bigger NBA names in Shaquille O'Neal and Baron Davis, but both were signed when they were well past their prime. more ›

As the women of the world prepare to go head to head in Miss Universe - lip-gloss, eye liner and bronzer at the ready, some of Americas finest beefcakes have already slipped in to a bit of spandex for an adoring audience at the Expo. They did however; ditch the catwalk, opting instead for something a little more familiar to them - a wrestling ring! more ›

Liu Xiang (刘翔) and his coach Sun Haiping are putting a positive spin on the once world champion hurdler's seventh-place performance at World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar, over the weekend. Liu clocked a time of 7.65 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles, in his first major international competition since he limped off the track at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Olympic champion Dayron Robles of Cuba came in first, and the USA's Terrence Trammell was second. more ›

Chinese sports brand up-and-comer Li Ning has opened its first store outside of the country, though it didn't go far. The newest themed flagship shop will be in Singapore's ION Orchard Mall. The theme: badminton paradise, which will focus on the sport's equipment and maintenance. According to Li Ning CFO Nicholas Chong, "Badminton is a popular, prevalent and influential sport in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Expansion into this market not only shows our determination to become the sports brand synonymous with badminton, it also lays a solid foundation for the group's expansion into overseas markets." Considering how badminton players tend to appear on billboards here with the same badassedness as basketball and football players in the U.S., we guess that's not a bad strategy to hedge on after all. Source: Brand Republic more ›