Officials have said India is ripe for boxing to take off after middleweight Vijender Kumar won a bronze at last year`s Beijing Games. —Reuters/File photo

NEW DELHI Six countries are in the fray for four Asian city slots in the World Series of Boxing, which will pit franchise teams against each other in a league format from late 2010.

China, India, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Thailand and Qatar were interested in taking the slots, an Indian boxing official said on Tuesday.

India`s Sahara Group, which sponsors the national cricket team, was among those interested and more companies were being approached, Indian federation Secretary Muralidharan Raja said.

Twelve franchises, four each from Asia, Europe and the Americas, will compete against each other in a league format.

Officials are keen to spice up boxing and find new audiences and funding.

With professional boxing splintered because of the array of different governing bodies and weight classifications, the amateur version hopes the World Series of Boxing will strike a chord with disaffected fans.

An International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) team would give a presentation to prospective Indian franchises next month, the national federation said in a statement.

Officials have said India is ripe for boxing to take off after middleweight Vijender Kumar won a bronze at last year`s Beijing Games - India`s first in Olympic boxing.

China also got a taste of boxing success at the 2008 Olympics with light-flyweight Zou Shimin and light-heavyweight Zhang Xiaoping grabbing the country`s first two golds in the sport.

The selection of boxers will be conducted at the men`s world championships in Milan in August, the statement said.

Salaries will also be worked out, with boxers expected to receive between $30,000-$300,000 per season, it added.