The State General Administration of Sports (SGAS) has announced a long-term strategic partnership with Qingdao-based LAOSHAN Mineral Water. The news was revealed at a press conference last Thursday which was attended by Chinese gymnasts Teng Haibin, Deng Linlin and the 2008 Olympic weightlifting champion Long Qingquan.

Under this partnership, LAOSHAN will become the official water provider of the SGAS-backed National Sports Training Center (NSTC). This deal is to offer services for 14 different Chinese national teams, covering 10 sports such as track and field, table tennis, volleyball, diving and gymnastics. At the same time, the water company is looking to support Chinese teams in their upcoming events in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Qingdao Laoshan Mineral Water Co. Ltd. was founded in 1905. It was the service provider for the 2001 APEC summit in China.

The SGAS, currently led by director Liu Peng, is the government agency responsible for sport in China. It is subordinate to the State Council, and administers the All-China Sports Federation and Chinese Olympic Committee.

Source: People.cn

Proofread by John Devlin.