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China's gymnastic icon Li Ning to visit Switzerland

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2017-05-26 09:49Global Times Editor: Li Yan ECNS App Download

Chinese gymnastic icon Li Ning in June is set to return to Montreux, Switzerland, where he won gold in the inaugural Arthur Gander Memorial event 32 years ago, to -enhance the -exchanges between the two countries.

The event was held in -memory of Arthur Gander, who was president of the International Gymnastics Federation from 1966 to 1976.

The year 2017 is dubbed the "China-Switzerland Tourism Year" -after the leaders of the two countries made state visits to each other.

Speaking ahead of his trip to Montreux, Li, a three-time Olympic gold medalist at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, said he hopes his journey could see more cooperation between the two sides.

After retiring from competition in 1988, the "Prince of Gymnastics" set up a company in his own name specializing in sports equipment in 1990. The brand has become extremely popular in China.

But Li was cagey about revealing any sponsorship deals with Swiss teams or clubs -during his forthcoming trip, saying it should be "decided by the market."

The Li Ning sports brand is popular in basketball, running and badminton, Li told the Global Times on Thursday in Beijing, adding they are also going to invest more in soccer - which China is pushing for improvement as a national strategy - at the grass-roots level rather than in elite soccer.

He also said that his -company will focus on winter sports.

China has concluded a cooperation agreement with the Swiss sports body for the 2020 Youth Olympic Winter Games in Lausanne and the 2022 -Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.

On August 8, 2008, Li, as the last runner in the Olympic flame relay, lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

But at the Rio Games in 2016, many Chinese fans expressed sadness that the Li Ning company was no longer sponsoring the Chinese national gymnastics team, where Li made his name.

"Personally it's a pity, but I am happy to see there are others supporting Chinese gymnastics," Li told the Global Times.

  

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