China Media Group (CMG) signed a cooperation agreement with the International Canoe Federation (ICF) at the launching of the first International Super Cup of Canoe and Kayak on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed in Beijing in the presence of CMG President Shen Haixiong, deputy head of the General Administration of Sport (GAS) of China Zhou Jinqiang, ICF President Thomas Konietzko and other attendees. 

The top-flight event will take place in October 2024 in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, co-hosted by CMG, GAS, ICF, and the Hangzhou Municipal Government. It will invite the world's top three teams in four disciplines each, namely canoe sprint, canoe slalom, canoe marathon, and canoe pole, to compete. 

With a wide fan base globally, the canoe sport embodies the integration of man and nature, strength and wisdom, perseverance and courage. China has vast and fertile rivers and lakes that have nurtured custom and culture derived from the Dragon Boat Festival for thousands of years. 

According to Shen, this inaugural event, which has been created and launched by China, will encourage cultural exchanges and promote the sport to global enthusiasts. CMG shall strive to bring forth top-notch productions as a main broadcaster of major sporting events, including the FISU World University Games, the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Paris Olympics, as they approach, he added.

In light of the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, CMG will respond to its mission of encouraging cultural exchanges, as the flagship brand injects new impetus into canoe sport worldwide, Shen said. 

Zhou expressed gratitude for ICF's support for China in developing the canoe sport in the country, as Team China gear up for Paris 2024. The sport has huge potential among Chinese enthusiasts. The Chinese Olympic Committee will work with the ICF to develop new cooperation, while CMG has always valued innovation in enhancing communication, he added.

Konietzko praised the Chinese Canoeing Association for being a reliable partner of the sport's global governing body over the years. As a leading global broadcasting agency, CMG will cover the sport with professionalism and quality. The signing of the memo marks a milestone in the cooperation between ICF and CMG, as it charts out a new course for the promotion of the sport in China. Audiences worldwide will be able to appreciate the beauty and diversity of the sport when the event takes place next year, according to Konietzko.

Xue Jijun, a CMG editorial board member, and Konietzko signed the memo on behalf of CMG and ICF, respectively, stating that CMG has exclusive broadcasting rights and non-exclusive broadcasting rights on digital platforms in the Chinese mainland and China's Macao Special Administrative Region for all ICF events in the next two years.