BEIJING - A man in southern China has applied to register a line of women's sanitary products under the name of Chinese basketball star Yao Ming, Xinhua News Agency said on Friday.

China's Yao Ming stands as the national anthems are played before the first round match against Slovenia at the world basketball championships in Sapporo, northern Japan August 24, 2006. [Reuters/file]

"This kind of registration is obviously malicious," Xinhua quoted "Team Yao" spokesman Lu Hao, as saying. "It's unbelievable that someone could do such a thing. It's just too much."

Related readings:  Condom trademark bid gets a rise out of CCTV

Yao is one of China's best known and highest paid sportsmen. The 7ft-5in centre plays with the Houston Rockets in the NBA.

The application, which also included Yao Ming-branded medicine and disposable underwear, was listed on the national trademark office website and about to enter a "three-month approval" period, Xinhua said.

The application comes as Chinese singer Ai Dai plans to take legal action over a businessman registering a line of condoms in her name, Xinhua said in a separate report.

The brand name "Ai Dai" is a play on words for "love to wear".

In July, a media storm broke after a man from China's southeastern province of Fujian applied to register condoms and other contraceptive products using the brand name of China's state-run news channel, CCTV1.