Former world No 1 badminton player Kidambi Srikanth has inked a four-year deal worth Rs 35 crore with Asian sports brand Li Ning.

The deal, a press release said, will include sponsorship and equipment supply for the player. Srikanth will be switching from Yonex to Li Ning.

Li-Ning has been sponsoring China, Indonesia, Singapore and Australia badminton teams and was the official sponsor of the Indian contingent at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. Li-Ning is also currently Team India’s official apparel partner till the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo where Srikanth will be one of the medal contenders.

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“Srikanth is among the top Badminton players in the world & already the most accomplished Indian male badminton player & a World No1 player. Li Ning stands for quality & consistency and Srikanth fits the bill perfectly. We want to play our part in helping Srikanth achieve a lot more going forward,” said Mahender Kapoor, director of Sunlight Sports.

Sports marketing firm Baseline Ventures, who manages Srikanth, was instrumental in setting up the deal.

“We were really impressed with the road map and vision of the brand Li Ning for Srikanth and the team handling Li Ning is completely hands-on and dynamic. We look forward to a great association over the next four years,” said Tuhin Mishra, Managing Director of Baseline Ventures.