Ant International, the Singapore-based affiliate of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group, on Friday announced a partnership with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team New York Liberty.
The multi-year initiative would see the company’s Alipay+ fintech platform become an “official sponsor” and “innovation partner for sustainability” of the team, to “jointly support community programmes designed to advance community empowerment, environmental sustainability and youth development” across New York City, the firm said in a statement.
Alipay+ would support Liberty and its community in “urban reforestation and other conservation initiatives”, such as a community project to recycle used shoes, as well as projects for “youth sports and technology training”.
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Both parties on Thursday teamed up on the Liberty’s Shoe Sorting Day, in which volunteers arranged donated sneakers for distribution to homeless students in the city and provided handwritten notes of encouragement to uplift them during challenging times.
The team is owned by Alibaba Group Holding chairman and co-founder Joe Tsai and his wife, Clara Wu Tsai. Ant is an affiliate of Alibaba, which also owns the Post.
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“Our partnership with Alipay+ goes beyond the game,” said Keia Clarke, CEO of New York Liberty. “Together, we are investing in the future of New York – its people, its environment and its youth.”