THE STORY OF LI-NING - FROM OLYMPIC HERO TO GLOBAL SPORTS BRAND

A legend launches the brand

Mr. Li Ning, the founder of the Li-Ning brand, was formerly a Chinese gymnastics sensation – known as the "Prince of Gymnastics". At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, he won three gold, two silver, and one bronze medal – becoming a national hero in China. After retiring from sports in 1988, he founded Li-Ning Company Limited in 1989/1990, based in Beijing.

From national pride to global player

In 2004, the company became the first Chinese sports brand to be listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Li-Ning grew rapidly and took over as market leader in China – with over 6,000 stores in all provinces and regions by around 2017.

In recent years, they have even appeared at Paris and New York Fashion Week, positioning themselves as a hybrid between performance sports and modern design.

When badminton, running, and racket sports meet

Li-Ning focuses on research, product development, and retail – in footwear, apparel, and equipment for both elite athletes and recreational enthusiasts. This is possibly why Li-Ning has a strong presence in the badminton world. For many years, Li-Ning was the official sponsor of the Chinese national badminton team and has, since 2013, collaborated with the Badminton World Federation, supporting international tournaments such as the China Open and World Tour Finals. They have also sponsored big names like Pusarla Sindhu, Srikanth Kidambi, Yuta Watanabe, and Danish players Kim Astrup & Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.

For runners, they have established running classes and events such as the Li-Ning 10K Run League and various marathon sponsorships in China – for example, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou.

A brand with ambitions

Beyond Chinese dominance, Li-Ning is actively pursuing global expansion – especially in Europe – where they collaborate with official distributors such as ourselves.

At the same time, they have modernized their branding with slogans like “Anything is Possible” and “Let the Change Occur” / “Make the Change”, and markets like sports and fashion are increasingly intertwined.

How big are they, then?

In 2024, Li-Ning had a revenue of almost DKK 26 billion, with growth of over 3.9% from the previous year. Their global ambition extends to becoming one of the top five sports brands in the world, with at least 20% of revenue from international markets. They are increasingly challenging clothing and sports brands worldwide.