The International Boxing Association (AIBA) is proud to announce that the Indian Consumer Electronics and Home Appliance conglomerate Videocon Industries Ltd has become the first World Series of Boxing (WSB) franchise holder.
Videocon Industries Ltd has bought the franchise rights for India's representation in the WSB, which has been formed by AIBA, in association with its marketing partner IMG, with Delhi, the capital city of India, the chosen city for the franchise.
Confirming the development, Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu, AIBA President & WSB Chairman of the Board said, "It is our pleasure to welcome India as one of the 12 franchisees for the WSB. The confirmation of Videocon as one of the franchisee holders illustrates the tremendous potential for boxing in India and the huge support base for growing great talent. We welcome Videocon for their participation and support and are confident that the WSB will bring about a paradigm shift and signal a new era in boxing around the world."
Pic: AIBA President and WSB Chairman of the Board Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu.
On the association with WSB, Mr Pradeep Dhoot Videocon Industries Ltd President said, "We are excited and enthusiastic about our association with WSB. Through this partnership we would want the Indian audience and boxers to experience change by taking Indian boxing to the level of global standards. Our commitment to boxing is long term and we will invest in promoting the sport by developing facilities like boxing rings across India at grass root level through schools and colleges."
Further franchise confirmations are expected in the months of July and August.
September 2010 will signal a new beginning in the global boxing world as WSB will be launched with a city based franchised league of professional boxing, established on a global basis. The WSB will feature a total of 12 franchises across three continents - Americas, Asia and Europe.
The WSB will be held annually and allow aspiring boxers to compete professionally without having to sacrifice their dreams of competing on behalf of their countries at the Olympic Games. AIBA will provide a bridge between Olympic boxing and Professional boxing, with the WSB being the only professional series in which boxers will retain their Olympic eligibility.
The boxers will compete within teams across three global regions: Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Each bout will be made up of five rounds of three minutes per bout, with not vests or headgear. In addition, boxers will be provided with reliable income and a guaranteed schedule of bouts. This will allow the boxers to grow in technique and style.
The WSB will crown both individual boxers and city-based teams as World Champions. The Individual championships will consist of the top two boxers in each weight category competing for the title of World Series of Boxing Champion.
About the World Series of Boxing SA (WSB SA)
WSB SA is a limited company registered in Switzerland and has been established to own all the commercial and other rights relating to WSB. The ownership of WSB SA is shared by AIBA, as a majority shareholder, with its marketing partner IMG. AIBA, as the world governing body for boxing, has 196 national member federations which operate under its umbrella. IMG creates, manages and delivers sports entertainment and media marketing solutions for clients, federations and brands on a global basis. As the world's largest sports marketing agency, IMG has over 2,750 employees based in 81 offices worldwide. WSB SA will have its own management structure to oversee the development and global promotion of WSB and manage the day-to-day relationships with the franchisees. For more information please visit www.aiba.org.
About the International Boxing Association
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) is a non-profit making international organization, which was founded under the name Fédération Internationale de Boxe Amateur (FIBA) in 1920. In 1946, a new start was given with the launch of AIBA to replace the dissolved FIBA and now, more than 60 years later, AIBA, with its 196 member federations, continues to govern the sport of boxing, working for the benefit of the sport and all its participants, to help boxing realize its potential within the Olympic Movement and the international sporting arena.
For more information please contact:
WSB Chief Operating Officer: Mr Ivan Khodabakhsh +41 79 814 97 40
Media contact - WSB Senior Communication Manager: Mr Moreno Volpi +41 21 621 8007
For further information on the WSB please visit: http://www.aiba.org/default.aspx?pId=2703#
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