IBF to launch Silk Road Champions Tournament

The International Boxing Federation (IBF) is going to establish the 'IBF Belt & Road Region' within the organization and launch the Silk Road Champions Tournament, reports thepaper.cn.

Kell Brook vs. Errol Spence Jr. during an IBF Welterweight Championship bout, in Sheffield, England, May 27, 2017. [Photo: IC]

The decision was made during a week-long annual IBF Convention which began in Florida on May 21, 2017. IBF management discussed the proposal with representatives from the Belt and Road (B&R) Region.

The first IBF B&R Championship Tournament is set to be held in October, 2017 in China, where an IBF B&R headquarters will be set up, according to thepaper.cn.

The IBF is going to create the IBF B&R title and develop B&R ratings. Participants in the tournament will be selected from the rating system, and the tournament champions will be considered for the IBF's World Ratings.

IBF President Daryl Peoples [Photo: thepaper.cn]

"The IBF is the first one to apply the B&R relevant developing plan among the international sports organizations, marking our focus and commitment to China and the countries in this region," said Daryl Peoples, President of IBF.

The B&R region is composed of around 70 countries and regions spanning Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

The Belt and Road Initiative (Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road), is a development strategy first proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. It aims at building a trade and infrastructure network along the ancient Silk Road trading routes.