China

German-based car maker Mercedes-Benz has acquired the 10-year naming rights of the new stadium under construction at Shanghai's World Expo site.

Football’s world governing body FIFA announced yesterday that Chinese state-broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) has acquired the rights to all FIFA tournaments, including the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.

The Chinese city of Harbin’s application was declined by China's General Administration of Sport (GAS) late last month, an official in the city's sports bureau said yesterday.

The National Basketball Association is to add between 10 and 50 employees in countries including China and India, the league’s commissioner David Stern has said, speaking at a pre-season exhibition game in London.

The Economist has reported that China’s sports industry remains largely under state control, and is being held back by under-investment and a lack of marketing skills.

The 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China is planning 2,500 hours of live TV programming for the event.

Spanish football club Real Madrid is calling for earlier kick-off times in Spain’s league so that more fans in China can watch the matches.

US baseball league Major League Baseball has opened its first year-round development centre in mainland China, hoping to emulate the NBA’s success in encouraging Chinese talent.

Chinese media reported yesterday that Beijing, hosts of the 2008 Olympic Games, will bid to host the 2015 athletics World Championships.

WTA chief executive Stacey Allaster has highlighted the strength of the property she heads up by pointing out it lost only one of 51 title sponsors during 2009, a year of recession for some of its biggest markets.

The Chinese sports minister Liu Peng has said the government will support a bid from any of its cities which wants to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Guadalajara in Mexico, Nanjing in China, and Poznan in Poland have submitted candidature files to the International Olympic Committee in bids to host the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014.

Sports officials from the State General Administration of Sports, the governing body of Chinese sport, will over the next few days evaluate the feasibility of Harbin's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA)’s China tournament scheduled for October has been cancelled after the IMG agency was unable to find a sponsor to cover costs, according to reports.

Chelsea Football Club yesterday launched its new official Chinese website, www.chelseafc.com.cn, which it plans will create an online community for football fans across the country.

The 16th Asian Games, held in the Chinese city of Guangzhou in November 2010, will begin accepting individual or corporate in-kind or cash contributions starting today through to 31 December next year.

The NBA will return to China after it confirmed that a pre-season game between the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets will be played in Beijing on October 11.

Nike will sponsor the match ball of the China Basketball Association (CBA) League under a new deal agreed with the Infront China agency.