Dr Li Ning 李寧博士

Award

Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa 榮譽工商管理學博士

Year of Award

2025

Biography

A prominent figure in the global athletic community and a highly successful entrepreneur, Dr Li Ning is not only the founder and current Chairman and Executive Director of the Li-Ning sportswear brand, but also the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Executive Director of Viva Goods Company Limited. 

Dr Li began his systematic training in gymnastics at the age of eight. At the 1982 Artistic Gymnastics World Cup, Dr Li achieved an extraordinary feat by winning six gold medals in the all-around, floor exercise, horizontal bar, still rings, pommel horse, and vault categories, becoming the athlete with the most gold medals in a single gymnastics competition for China, and earning the title of “Prince of Gymnastics”. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Dr Li further solidified his legacy by winning a total of six medals – three gold, two silver, and one bronze – making him the most decorated Olympian of the Games. 

After his retirement in 1989, Dr Li founded the eponymous brand Li-Ning which specialises in professional sportswear and equipment. Over the past 30 years, he has developed the company’s business and made important contributions to the growth of China's sports goods industry. In 2025, the Li-Ning brand will rejoin forces with the Chinese Olympic Committee as its official sportswear partner for the period 2025 to 2028, providing award-winning sportswear for the Chinese sports delegation. Additionally, the Li Ning Group invests in youth sports development, encouraging young people to embrace the joy of sports by sponsoring youth basketball, badminton, table tennis, and football competitions. 

Throughout the years, Dr Li has actively supported charitable initiatives through the Li Ning Foundation. Apart from establishing the Chinese Athletes Educational Foundation to fund continuing education and training programmes for both serving and former Chinese athletes and coaches, the foundation has also supported educational development in remote areas in China. In an interview, Dr Li encourages Lingnan University students to seize the opportunities of the era, particularly the significant advancement in the sports industry within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. 

Dr Li was awarded Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa.