China Unicom sealed the deal with TMS, the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) exclusive marketing agency, ahead of the May 8-15 event. The company has previously been a leading brand in the sport, with sponsorship agreements covering the Team World Championships in the German city of Bremen (2006) and Guangzhou in China (2008) as well as the individual World Championship in the Croatian city of Zagreb (2007).

“TMS is happy to see the return of China Unicom as a major sponsor of the World Table Tennis Championship,” said TMS managing director Anders Thunstrom. “We are hopeful that this will be the beginning of a long-term agreement with this hugely influential and supportive partner."

ITTF president Adham Sharara added: “This is great news for the ITTF and demonstrates that table tennis provides a fantastic vehicle for sponsors to reach wide and diverse audiences.”

Last year’s Team World Championship in Moscow, Russia, received impressive exposure in China, with more than 150 hours aired in the country, including 40 hours via CCTV.