Opinion | Open sesame to sports success: the guanxi of Alibaba
Jack Ma and Alibaba have forged global connections in sport to create a worldwide sports empire
Ali Baba is a character from the folk tale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, a woodcutter who gains entry to a den of treasure using the phrase ‘open sesame’.
As the tale’s tit suggests, the treasure is ill-gotten, accumulated by a gang of thieves who try to kill Ali when he finds it. A willing servant strikes first though, killing the thieves and saving Ali, who then unites her in marriage with his son.
What this ta might tell us about sport in the 21st century is probably best ft unexplored at this point.
However, a door to the treasures of the 21st century has just opened-up for e-commerce giant Alibaba. In a deal announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the company was revealed as a new sponsor of the next six Olympic Games, as part of International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) global The Olympic Partner (TOP) programme.
As part of the deal, Alibaba will provide the IOC’s official cloud services, be their e-commerce platform services partner, and contribute to the IOC’s digital TV service aimed at young sports fans.
Whether or not company founder Jack Ma uttered the words ‘open sesame’ before meeting IOC president Thomas Bach to finalise the sponsorship remains to be seen.