UPDATE 1-Belgium's Option misses targets due to Chinese hit

* '09 operating loss 54.4 mln euros vs 44.2 mln loss expected

* Misses own indicated sales range

(Adds details from statement)

BRUSSELS, March 4 (Reuters) - Wireless Internet device maker Option (OPIN.BR)said it continued to face a difficult market after missing its indicated sales range and analysts' earnings expectations in 2009, hit by competition from Chinese rivals.

Belgium-based Option posted a full-year operating loss of 54.4 million euros ($74.1 million), worse than the loss of 44.2 million euros forecast on average by two analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The company, a former darling of the Euronext Brussels exchange, said in a statement full-year sales almost halved to 147.1 million euros, missing the range of 148-153 million euros it indicated in a news release in December. [ID:nWEA3898] ($1=.7328 euro) (Reporting by Ben Deighton, editing by Dale Hudson)