The three-year deal was officially signed during a special ceremony at the National Olympic Sports Centre in Beijing attended by Wang Jun, the vice virector of the State General Administration of Sports and vice president of the COC, and Ding Shizhong, the chairman and chief executive of ANTA Sports.

Wang Jun said, "ANTA Sports' good corporate image is a mirror of the Olympics spirits.

"ANTA Sports has managed to maintain continuous strong growth and provided substantial support to the development of China's sports industry.

"We believe that the partnership will allow ANTA Sports to contribute to China's Olympics development."

China will now sportswear sponsored by ANTA Sports to 11 international competitions, including the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, the Winter Olympics in Vancouver next year and the London Games.

ATNA, which was founded in 1994, is China's top sportswear retailer and has 6,000 stores across the country.

Ding Shizhong said: "We are dedicated to providing Chinese customers with professional sports products and services, as well as promoting the development and popularity of sports.

"With the support of the COC, ANTA Sports can achieve that goal and its leadership in the market will be further strengthened."

Ma Jilong, a member of the market development committee of the COC, announced the first of the activities to promote the new partnership will be an "Outfit Design Competition for Chinese athletes at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games", inviting designs from all over the world for an outfit for the Chinese team.