Asia Sports Business Weekly | 16th May

Hello Industry Friends, here is the very latest news and insights from Asia.

📰 Headlines: Chinese football coaches train at Premier League academy, FIBA confirms Indonesia as host of World Cups, Aramco and Yao Foundation partner on sports facilities, Hong Kong Jockey Club plans global rebrand, Tokyo tickets on offer at World Relays in Guangzhou. 

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🗞️ Key Industry News

Chinese Coaches Train at Premier League Academies to Elevate Football Future

China is investing in its football future, beginning with its coaches. Eight CFA youth coaches recently completed a three-week Premier League training program in England, part of the International Elite Coach Program. This flagship initiative, launched under last October’s Premier League-CFA agreement, aims to boost China’s football development by arming local coaches with world-class expertise. Read more on China Daily (English)

💡 Mailman Take: Whether or not China qualifies for next year’s World Cup, there remains a huge amount of work and education to be done to improve the sport at the bottom of the pyramid across the country. The ambition to host and eventually win a World Cup anytime soon is long gone; therefore, new and realistic goals need to be established. Rather than previous efforts to improve the game, such as spending huge sums on foreign talent, there appears to be a more strategic process utilising Western entities through programs such as the CFA-EPL partnership, as well as established youth programs including LaLiga’s Hope Cup and the Bundesliga Dream project, and the well renowned and locally established China ClubFootball. 

FIBA Confirms Indonesia as Host for U-17 and U-19 World Cups

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has officially selected Indonesia to host the 2028 FIBA U-17 Women's Basketball World Cup and the 2029 FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup. This marks the first time a junior basketball competition under FIBA has been held in the Asian region. The decision reflects FIBA's continued commitment to promoting basketball development in Indonesia, following the country's role as one of the hosts of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Read more on FIBA Official (English)

💡 Mailman Take: With the involvement of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Dito Ariotedjo, the collaboration between the Indonesian government and FIBA has reached a new level. This partnership not only demonstrates the government's commitment to advancing basketball but also strengthens Indonesia's position in the global basketball community. Additionally, this momentum presents an opportunity to further grow the basketball market in Indonesia.

UEFA’s Giorgio Marchetti’s Exclusive Interview with CCTV-5

UEFA’s Deputy Secretary General spoke exclusively to China’s biggest sports news programme on a wide range of topics, including EURO2024, new tournament formats, the importance of Chinese fans, and the upcoming UCL final. Read more on CCTV-5 (Chinese)

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World Taekwondo Grand Prix Finals Set for China

World Taekwondo has decided on hosts for a range of its events through to 2027, with Astana, Kazakhstan and Taian, China set to host the finals of the next two editions of its Grand Prix series. Read more on SportBusiness (English)

Aramco and Yao Foundation Partner to Expand Sports Facilities Across China

The Saudi oil company has announced a multi-year partnership with the Yao Foundation to promote sports education and youth empowerment across China. As part of this initiative, the latest upgraded basketball court under the "Shoot for the Future" program was unveiled. Read more on Xinhua (English)

LaLiga Ends Deal with GXR in India

The Spanish league has terminated its exclusive media rights contract with Galaxy Racer (GXR) in the Indian subcontinent. Streaming service FanCode is now likely to secure the rights, SportBusiness understands, with final contracting in process. Read more on SportBusiness (English)

Hong Kong Jockey Club Plans Global Rebrand

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has detailed plans to further diversify its revenue stream, and strengthen its leading position among sports organisations, by launching a major initiative to transform itself into a “global sports entertainment brand”. Read more on SportBusiness (English)

Teams Target Tickets to Tokyo as Coe Hails "Historic" World Relays in Guangzhou

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe reinforced the importance of a “historic” edition of the World Athletics Relays, speaking on the eve of an event that saw the mixed 4x100m make its global debut. This event was the main qualifying competition for relay events at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. Read more on Xinhua (English)

EA SPORTS FC Mobile Asia Series 2025 to Kick Off with Bangkok Festival

The best FC Mobile competitors from across Asia and the Middle East, global football icons, top influencers, and passionate fans will unite for the EA SPORTS FC Mobile Festival, Bangkok — a two-day event presented by Visa, happening June 14–15 at BCC Hall, Central Ladprao in Bangkok, Thailand. Read more on EA Sports (English)

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🎮 Esports

Team Vitality Moves for Indonesia’s Bigetron Esports

French esports club Team Vitality has acquired Indonesian organisation Bigetron Esports, giving it a foothold in the Southeast Asian gaming marketplace. The deal grants Vitality a Jakarta base, adding to its Paris headquarters and operations in Berlin. Read more on SportBusiness (English)

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🤔 Opinion

From Gold to Glamour: China’s Athlete Endorsers

LVMH’s Qeelin joins Biotherm, Tag Heuer, and Jaeger-LeCoultre in tapping medal-winning Chinese athletes amid a shift in China's celebrity landscape. Read more on Jing Daily (English)

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