Northeast boxers looking forward to participating in World Series Boxing

Shillong, Sep.26 (ANI): After the international success of boxers Marykom and Suranjoy Singh, the sport has gained immense popularity among youth.

After the recent announcement about "World Series Boxing" tournament in India, the federations in northeast region are hopeful of getting a major thrust from the tournament, as it will provide talented young boxers nationwide exposure.

In August this year, Mumbai-based TransStadia signed a ten-year, five million dollar deal with World Series of Boxing (WSB), which will see the sports infrastructure company own and enter an Indian franchise in the international amateur boxing championship that was launched last year.

Under terms of the deal, the company will oversee, host and manage all commercial rights of the team, which will be named Mumbai Fighters, under guidelines set out by the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA), the apex body of the sport worldwide.

Udit Sheth, managing director and chief executive of TransStadia, said the company's "plan in India is to nurture talent, create sustainable infrastructure, contribute to the sports industry and revolutionise the perception of Sports in India."

He added: "Indian boxers are capable of competing at the world level and we are sure our franchise will produce results. As team owners our goal is to create a culture of fitness and safety through picking up the art of boxing."

"TransStadia is proud to be a member of this prestigious event and we will be working very closely with AIBA and IBF to ensure the success of the Indian boxing team. The first bout is in November 2011 and we are prepared for this season," Sheth said.

WSB chief operating officer Ivan Khodabakhsh said: "I am delighted that we have a Mumbai-based team competing in the WSB. From the very beginnings of the idea for the WSB, we were convinced that there is huge potential for the tournament in India. Furthermore, the global dimension of the series is an excellent platform for TransStadia to showcase its image and innovative sports solutions on the international stage."

With the addition of the Mumbai Fighters and a German team, the next World Series will consist of 14 franchises across three conferences in America, Asia and Europe.

The competition format involves matches of five bouts, with each bout consisting of five rounds of three minutes each.

Boxers from five weight categories fight without head guards or vests and are judged by three judges using professional-style scoring.

The team with most wins from five bouts wins the match. The top team in each conference, plus the best runner up, contest a playoff to determine the overall champion. (ANI)