World Mind Masters Signs Up Sina.com as Exclusive Online Media Partner for 2008 World Xiangqi Masters

Content and joint promotion agreement first of its kind for intellectual mind sports in China

London, August 29, 2008 - World Mind Masters Limited, the only professional international promoter of intellectual games events in China, today announced that China’s leading online news and content Internet portal Sina.com (a division of SINA Corporation NASDAQ: SINA) has agreed to become the Exclusive Online Media Partner for the 2008 World Xiangqi Masters Tournament.

The agreement, which entails content sharing and joint promotional activities between World Mind Masters and the Sports Channel of Sina.com, was concluded earlier this month in Beijing.

“We are delighted to be working with Sina.com and its Sports Channel staff in this exciting opportunity,” said Don Morris, CEO of World Mind Masters. “As our online qualifying and live finals event enters its fourth year, we have opened the door to sponsors for the first time, and Sina.com, with its extensive sports coverage, is the ideal partner to support our strategy of promoting Xiangqi in China and internationally.”

Sina.com Sport Channel Senior Editor Min Lu said, “We are committed to the promotion of cultural sports in China, especially those such as Xiangqi which already has a considerable online community and significant following on our Sports Channel. In the last four years World Mind Masters has developed a strong following through the World Xiangqi Masters Tournament and we are delighted to be working with them to promote their event with our readers in this exclusive arrangement.”

The World Xiangqi Masters Tournament, jointly organized by World Mind Masters and the Board and Card Games Directorate of the General Administration of Sport of China is open to anyone with a computer and Internet access. Players who register are immediately placed within the World Mind Masters ranking system and a potential pool of millions of online qualifiers who play against each other to reach the top 32, winning all-expenses paid trips to Beijing for live knockout rounds.

The top 32 online qualifiers who make it to Beijing are reduced to 12, who go through to face China’s top 12 players in the finals. This 24-player knockout for the World Xiangqi Masters title culminates in a medals ceremony and banquet in Beijing’s legendary Great Hall of the People on December 12th, 2008, with prize money totaling US$40,000.

Online qualifying is open now, and players can learn more and enter by visiting www.worldmindmasters.com

Please contact:

Alastair Monteith-Hodge
+852 2521 5454
alastair@momentum54.com

About World Mind Masters
World Mind Masters Limited (WMM) is a rights and events owner and organizer dedicated to the major intellectual Asian and Western mind games. As the only professional international promoter of intellectual games events in China, WMM has established the official World Xiangqi Masters Tournament in partnership with the Board and Card Games Directorate of the General Administration of Sport of China. Having successfully hosted online and live World Xiangqi Masters events in 2005, 2006 and 2007, WMM intends to add to its stable of annual events by introducing championship events in other great intellectual mind games, including Go, Shogi, Checkers and International Chess.

This release was published on openPR.