Original link : http://www.wkfchina.org.cn/News_Show.php?theId=363

(Chinese Language)

Date: 2025-01-15

The 9th “China Boxing World – Wushu Style Ranking” Award Ceremony, “2024 Annual Summit” of “WKF China” and “WBU – World Boxing Union” Greater China was successfully held on 13th January 2025, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province with the main venue, and branch venues in Inner Mongolia, Tianjin and Dalian. The main venue and the branch venues were linked through network meetings with multiple provinces and cities participating in the meeting synchronously across the region. The leadership teams of WKF China, WBU Greater China and the heads of various departments made speeches and discussions, through video, to discuss this year’s WKF event together.

During the annual summit, Dr Yan Dinan, President of WKF China, President of WBU Greater China, and Life Noble Knight of Malta, delivered a video speech to summarise the annual work of WKF China and WBU Greater China in 2024, and put forward a guideline for the development plan in 2025.

In 2024, WKF China and WBU Greater China will focus on “Troika”: “Science and Education”, “Digital Heritage”, “Sports Science and Technology” to carry out business activities in a comprehensive manner, and all the work has achieved satisfactory results, handing over a qualified answer sheet for 2024.

In 2025, WKF China and WBU Greater China will work together to strengthen inter-regional event cooperation, practice technology empowerment, innovate fields, expand tracks, and drive the high-quality development of the sports and combat industry. The key work will focus on the “integration of development”, namely “cross-disciplinary integration of development” to carry out business activities.

Specific implementation direction: First, “digital technology to empower the sports industry”; Second, “non-heritage martial arts to promote cultural diplomacy” are the two key directions.

I. “Digital Technology Empowering Sports Industry”: Under the current trend of accelerating global digitalisation, digital sports, as an emerging field, not only possesses innovative potentials on the technical level, but also provides diversified sports activities and service modes for society. As the only “Digital Sports” AI project shortlisted in other high-tech fields, “Digital Sports Internet Intelligence System”, led by Dr Yan Dinan, President of WKF China, President of WBU Greater China, and Life Noble Knight of Malta, was awarded the “Digital Sports” Artificial Intelligence Project by the Ministry of Education of China on 19th December in Beijing. As the only AI project shortlisted in other high-tech fields, “Digital Sports” won the finalist award (the highest award) of the 19th “Chunhui Cup” China Overseas Educated Personnel Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition hosted by the Ministry of Education on 19th December in Beijing.

The winning project uses artificial intelligence and internet technology to build intelligent venue management and optimise user experience, which not only leads the trend of digital sports industries and improves the management efficiency of events, but also helps to create a more comfortable experience for athletes and spectators. From on-site digital display to scientific allocation of resources, the importance of science and technology in sports has been highlighted. Through intelligent systems, event organisation, promotion and participation will become more efficient and convenient. The future development of digital sports focuses on cross-border integration, and behind the gorgeous appearance of sports is a deeper understanding and application of science and technology. It not only meets the diversified needs of modern people for sports, but also provides new opportunities for the promotion of healthy lifestyles and create a new industrial ecology through the combination of technology and sports. In the future, sports events will not only be a place for competition, but also a combination of science, technology and art, which will drive the enthusiasm of sports science and technology innovation, providing a new vision for the innovative education in scientific and technological development of the sports industry.

In 2025, we will actively explore the path of development of “New Quality Productivity”, and lead China’s digital sports research into the forefront of “Olympic AI Agenda” in the world.

At present, the first phase of “Digital Sports AI Refereeing System” has obtained the computer software copyright from the National Copyright Administration during the “Chunhui Cup” competition, and the State Intellectual Property Office has accepted the application for invention patent. In 2025, the project will formally enter into the results conversion and testing stage of the event platform.

“non-heritage martial arts to promote cultural diplomacy”. During 2023 and 2024, WKF World Free Fighting Federation in China has successfully held two sessions of “polish mountain Yanjia boxing non-heritage martial arts cultural exchanges”, attracted a number of people from the Canadian national martial arts team, the Polish national martial arts team, Bangladesh and dozens of other countries and regions. Nearly 100 martial arts athletes and enthusiasts to learn and exchange in China.

On August 8, the event was hosted by the Youth Committee of Sichuan Overseas Chinese Federation and Deyang Overseas Chinese Federation; organised by Shifang Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, Shifang Overseas Chinese Federation and Deyang Overseas Chinese Federation Youth Committee; co-organised by the Outreach Committee of Sichuan Provincial Working Committee of Zhigong Party, Sichuan European and American Alumni Association of Fade, Deyang Overseas Chinese Businessmen’s Association of Jinyang District, Shifang City Culture and Tourism Bureau, Shifang City Education and Sports Bureau, and Chengdu Zhitong Wushu Research Institute; and co-organised by the WKF World Wide Free Combat Federation, China Region, WKF China, WBU World Boxing Union Greater China, and polish mountain Yan Family Boxing National Martial Arts Association supported the “polish mountain sword” 2024 overseas disciples of Yan Family Boxing in Sichuan to search for their roots was successfully held in Shifang City Overseas Chinese Home. With the theme of “Promoting Chinese Culture, Inheriting Non-legacy Martial Arts, and Firming National Confidence”, the overseas disciples of Yen Family Martial Arts from Italy, UK and Poland went to Shifang City to discuss the sword of Yinghuashan Mountain, and to experience the profoundness of the excellent traditional Chinese culture and the long history of the Ba Shu culture.

On 6th November, with the theme of “sports practice folk diplomacy, carry forward the inheritance of non-heritage martial arts”, the “2024 polish mountain Yanjiaquan International Wushu Exchange Forum” was successfully held in Weiyuan County, Sichuan Province. Five organisations from China, Italy and France reached a cooperation intention to jointly promote the exchange of “Chinese culture” and “non-heritage martial arts” overseas, and to attract more outstanding overseas martial arts enthusiasts, especially overseas Chinese youth athletes to come to China to receive high level training from professional sports teams.

In 2025, we will continue to organise the “3rd Yinghua Mountain Yanjiaquan Non-Heritage Wushu Cultural Exchange Activity” with “Non-Heritage Wushu for Cultural Diplomacy” as the guiding direction. With the deepening of exchanges, we believe that more and more overseas Chinese youth and foreigners will appreciate the unique charm and profound heritage of “Chinese culture” and “non-heritage martial arts”. Under the “Belt and Road” initiative, we will also cultivate more talents with an international vision and cross-cultural communication skills.

At this annual meeting, the leadership team of the WKF World Kickboxing Federation China (the fourth organizing body) and the new leadership team of the WBU World Boxing Union Greater China were elected through nomination and recommendation, discussion and voting by the presidium, secretariat, and council (the official appointment will be announced on the official website in the near future).

Taking the “12th World Games” landing in Chengdu, China as an opportunity, the WKF World Kickboxing Federation China will vigorously promote “non-Olympic” martial arts fighting competitions in 2025. Set up: “Yuewudao Project Department”, “Mixed Martial Arts Project Department”, “Chinese Wrestling Project Department”, “Wushu Sanda Project Department”, “Wushu Routines Project Department”, “Intangible Cultural Heritage Wushu Project Department”, “K12 Youth Development Department”, “Digital Sports AI Research Department” eight departments, combined with the “cross-disciplinary integration and development” model, to carry out the new year’s work tasks.

In 2025, the WBU World Boxing Union Greater China will take into account both “professional boxing” and “amateur boxing” events. Organize the “China-Japan-Korea Professional Boxing Championship” and the “China-Japan-Korea Youth Amateur Boxing Invitational”. Promote through competitions, and invite senior Japanese and Korean boxing coaches who have trained professional boxing champions to come to China to give lectures. Improve the level of Chinese professional boxing and promote the development of amateur boxing among Chinese youth. Simultaneously create a “WBU White-collar Boxing” course system, develop a mass base for boxing, and expand mass boxing projects.

The highlight of this event is the “9th China Boxing and Martial Arts Ranking” awards ceremony, which is the oldest, largest and most influential annual event in the pan-martial arts industry across the country. It aims to select the annual awards of “Top Ten Outstanding Referees”, “Top Ten Outstanding Coaches”, “Top Ten Outstanding Athletes” and “Top Ten Outstanding Martial Arts Promotion Organizations” in 2024 after a month of nomination and review under the principle of “fairness, openness and justice”.