A Chinese businessman's plans to use the name, Yao Ming, as a trademark for a women's sanitary napkin has caused uproar from the basketball player's Houston Rockets center's business team and fans.

Yao Ming is China's most famous basketball player.

"This kind of registration is obviously malicious," Xinhua quoted Lu Hao, a member of Yao's business team, as saying.

"It's unbelievable that someone could do such a thing... we are going to oppose this proposal."

Businessman Xiao Senwen, had applied for the name as the trademark for a range of products including sanitary pads, diapers, sportswear, beer and metalware.

The registration already has the preliminary approval of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, but will have to be undergo a three-month public notification period before final approval.

Chinese trademark regulations dictate that newly registered brands can take effect if there is no objection.

Internet chatrooms have expressed widespread opposition on the news.

"It is a very indecent exploitation of our favorite basketball player," said one message on Tom.Com.

"It's selfish because the businessman is pursuing profit at the expense of a celebrity's image," said another.