Chinese shuttlers to get pro league

Professional badminton will make its long-awaited return to the Chinese sporting landscape next year.

After a seven-year hiatus, a pro league will be launched in May with the intention of boosting the income of athletes and shoring up the reserves for the national squad.

"Like table tennis, we hope to boost the earnings of the badminton players and mine more talent through the professional league," said Liu Fengyan, director of the table tennis and badminton administration center under China's State General Administration of Sport, on Sunday.