The World Boxing Cup - China 2026 kicked off in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, on June 15.

This is the first time the event is being hosted by China, with 300 elite athletes from 40 countries and regions competing for crucial points for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and tickets to the final of the Uzbekistan Boxing World Cup.

The seven-day event features 20 weight categories for both men and women, covering all Olympic competition categories. Team China has sent 20 athletes to participate, with Guizhou natives Yang Chengyu, Wu Yu, and Zhang Jiamao competing to bring glory to the country.

The World Boxing Cup - China 2026 kicks off in Guiyang. [Photo/WeChat account of Zhizhi Guiyang]

After the opening ceremony, the men's 70kg category match began with a heated contest between Spanish boxer Frank Martinez Bernad and Iran's Ghasem Hamzeh.

Han Bo, leader of the China boxing team and secretary-general of the Chinese Boxing Federation, said Guizhou is an important source of strength for the development of boxing in China. He said he hoped the event would serve as an opportunity to promote international boxing exchanges and enhance Guizhou's competitive level of boxing.