The Badminton World Federation has signed a sponsorship deal with flavoured liquor producer Laymau for its 2018 World Championships, which get underway in Nanjing, China today (Monday).
Laymau will serve as the official spirit of the event, which runs until August 5.
Laymau said it has chosen to sponsor the tournament due to its interest in popularising and promoting badminton as part of the “explosive growth of the sports industry” in China in recent years.
The BWF’s commercial and communications director Owen Leed said: “The World Championships attracts the elite of our sport and the fact that Laymau has chosen to align its product with an event of this calibre sends a strong message, especially in a country that lives and breathes badminton.”