China

US-based mixed martial arts company Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has appointed Mark Fischer as its new executive vice president and managing director for Asia.

Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile, a joint-venture between French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen and China's Dongfeng Motor Corp, has signed a three-year deal to sponsor China’s national badminton team to promote Citroen C5 cars.

The National Basketball Association and Shanghai Film Group, the largest movie company in China, yesterday announced a partnership to produce the first NBA-themed motion picture outside of North America.

Both economies are booming - but China certainly seems to have the edge over India when it comes to preparing mega-events. While India is struggling to get itself ready for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, 2010 Asian Games host city Guangzhou has already handed over 67 out of 70 of its practice and competitive venues to organisers - even though the event doesn't take place until November.

Shao Wenzhong, the head of the commercial arm of China's football association, has been detained by police as part of a widening investigation into match fixing, state media reported yesterday.

Pan-Asian sports broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports yesterday announced the appointment of Wenjia Fang, formerly with mobile phone producer Nokia-China, as Managing Director and Chief Representative of its China office.

Organisers of this November's Asian Games in Guangzhou have raised more than $443 million (three billion yuan) in sponsorship, offsetting almost a third of the 10 billion yuan core costs of hosting the event.

From August 27 to September 4 2010, Beijing will host the first SportAccord Combat Games ever.

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) president Wei Di has confessed he does not want an Asian country to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup so that China has a chance to organise it four years later.

International sports media agency MP & Silva has launched an office in Beijing as a means to increase its presence in China and the Asia-Pacific region.

Soaring demand is powering an increase in the production of vuvuzela horns at Chinese factories.

Qingdao, China, has been added to the ISAF World Match Racing Tour series schedule in a five-year deal starting this year.

Sportswear maker Peak has become the first Chinese company to sign a major sponsor of the WTA Tour, agreeing a five-year deal to become official shoe and apparel partner in Asia-Pacific from this summer.

The Olympic Council of Asia has reacted angrily to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s decision not to send a team to this year's Asian Games in China. Olympic Council of Asia secretary general Randhir Singh said it is a "setback" for the future of cricket in the region.

A professional baseball league will launch in China this year which is intended by its founders to grow into an Asia-wide league taking in teams from Japan, Taiwan and Korea.

ATP international group chief executive Brad Drewett has said that “the sky is the limit” for the potential of tennis in China, as he launched the country's first Challenger Tour event in Beijing.