Chinese sportswear brands flood into Southeast Asia in search for growth

BANGKOK/MANILA — When American basketball star Kyrie Irving visited Thailand in September, a first for an active player in the NBA, fans swarmed the Bangkok flagship store of his main sponsor, Chinese sportswear brand Anta.

Each piece purchased from Irving’s Anta collection guaranteed a ticket to his events at the store, with special perks for top spenders including a brief meeting with their hero. Dees, a Thai dance instructor in his 40s who described himself as an Irving “superfan,” came to the event with his friends, all wearing pieces from the collection.