On January 23, AIBA (International Boxing Association) and Ailibaba Sports signed a strategic cooperation MOA in Switzerland. The 20-year agreement aims to promote the professionalism of boxing sports and the upgrade of the 3 event systems of AIBA so as to create a market-oriented professional event and launch the project of digitalization construction of boxing sports around the world.

International Boxing Federation (hereinafter referred to as AIBA), which was established in 1964, is the only official organization designated by International Olympic committee to manage boxing events. After president Ching-Kuo Wu took office, he spent no effort on the reform of the professionalism of boxing, later he removed “Amateur” from the name of the association and renamed it as “International Boxing Association”, but its abbreviation remains as AIBA, which make its Jurisdiction extend to professional areas.

On its occasion of 70 years’ anniversary, AIBA chose Alibaba Sports as its partnership and signed a 20-year agreement so as to boost the marketization of boxing sports around the world.

After Mr. Wu took office, he launched a series of reform on boxing, which not only saved boxing from the risk of being canceled by the Olympic games, but also brought women’s boxing to 2012 London. 2016 will be a year that means a lot to boxing sports as 2016 Rio will be the first Olympic game in which boxers compete without helmet, which will not only make the games itself more exciting and wonderful, but also bring more chances for pro boxers to join Olympic games.

There are three event systems of AIBA: International boxing open tournament, World personal pro boxing league, World club pro boxing league, all of which are Olympic tournaments. Among them, the last two are international top events that are newly created by AIBA with the purpose of integrating Olympic games and world pro boxing. The three big events are the only events in the world that can reserve athletes qualification of Olympic Games while allow them to join pro games. Apart from the three big events, AIBA will also work with Alibaba sports to establish and operate some market-oriented pro boxing games.

·     Mr Zhang Dazhong, the CEO of Alibaba Sports said that the essence of both sports and Internet are marketization, entertaining, and equity, which are consistent with the initial intention of AIBA’s reform. Boxing carries forward the progressive spirit of "A man of valor is undaunted". We hope that with the application of Internet we could further strengthen the marketization and entertaining of boxing sports so as to make more people feel the encouraging, aggressive and persistent spirits of boxing.