(Yicai Global) Dec. 11 -- E-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, the golden child of China's Hangzhou, has become an official partner to the 2022 Asian Games that will take place in the city.

The firm plans to make the event the first-ever smart Asian Games, it said in a statement yesterday, adding that it will work with the organizing committee in information technology, fintech, e-commerce, food service and green public welfare initiatives.

Hangzhou, also the hometown of Alibaba's founder Jack Ma, won the right to host the 19th Asian Games in 2015 and is the third Chinese city to earn the honor behind Beijing and Guangzhou. The 2022 Games will take place from Sept. 10 to Sept. 25, that year.

Alibaba will use its cloud tech to record results for nearly 10,000 athletes and provide support systems for the thousands of staff, spectators and visitors hailing from 45 countries and regions.

It also plans to make Alipay mobile payments available for transport, tickets and catering at the event, while affiliate Ant Financial Services Group, which runs Alipay, will use its blockchain tech for tickets and intellectual property protection.

The Asian Games opened an official flagship store on Alibaba's business-to-consumer e-commerce site Tmall yesterday, the event's first licensed retail outlet worldwide. Consumers the world over can buy official souvenirs, like badges, stationery and stamps, from the shop.

Other Alibaba retail platforms Taobao, Lazada and AliExpress will also offer services during the event.

Editor: James Boynton