China

The Chinese government has said it plans to further develop the country’s winter sports market ahead of Beijing’s 2022 winter Olympic and Paralympic Games by building more than 500 ice skating rinks and 240 ski slopes over the next six years.

The long-running saga over the future of AC Milan is set to be concluded next month, after the Chinese consortium seeking to buy the Italian Serie A football club said it expects to complete the deal by December 13.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has announced that the Chinese city of Changzhou will host the final edition of its Women’s Champions Trophy in 2018.

Table tennis legend Deng Yaping has established an investment fund that will seek to tap into opportunities in the expanding Chinese sports industry.

The Chinese city of Qingdao has signed an agreement to continue as a host port and team partner of the biennial Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

Chinese financial services company Everbright Securities has said its investment arm will form the country’s first sports-focused public-private partnership fund in an effort to capitalise on China’s push to develop its sports market.

WME-IMG has appointed Michael Ma, a former executive of the NBA basketball league, as chief executive of its China subsidiary, as part of an effort to drive the agency’s growth in the country.

Port Adelaide has claimed a piece of history for the Australian Football League (AFL) with the announcement that it will stage a Premiership game against the Gold Coast Suns in Shanghai, China next year.

The Ladies Professional Golf Association has signed a 10-year deal with Alisports that will result in the division of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba owning an LPGA tournament held annually in mainland China.

World Rugby has today (Wednesday) revealed details of a major 10-year investment programme worth $100m (€90.9m) with the Alisports division of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba which aims to propel China into a significant player in the global rugby union market.

Will the China Horse Club succeed where other ventures have failed and take the sport into the mainstream in China? Ryan Herman reports.

North American basketball league the NBA has launched a new development initiative comprising a network of elite training centres that will initially focus on the Chinese market.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said Beijing 2022 is off to a “fast start” in its preparations for the 2022 winter Olympic Games, adding that it is confident that China will provide access to an uncensored internet during the event.

The bicycle is making a comeback in China and opportunities for sports properties are emerging as the government tries to promote cycling and take polluting cars off the roads. Mark Dreyer reports.

When it comes to international development, few sports properties have been as pro-active and persistent as the NBA. SportBusiness International asked two expert but independent observers of the competition to reflect on its successes and the challenges facing the league.

Sports sponsorship expert Misha Sher, head of sport and entertainment EMEA for MediaCom, thinks the NBA represents a compelling opportunity for sponsors – but there are areas where he thinks it could improve.