The deal, which covers grassroots boxing and the national senior ABAE Championships, will run for a further 12 months with an option to extend.

It will take the length of the ABAE's partnership with Louvolite to 14 years and Paul King, chief executive of the ABAE, admitted he was delighted it will continue.

King said: "Louvolite's decision to build on their investment in amateur boxing is an endorsement of the fantastic health of the sport, which continues to deliver rising participation and is recognised as a valuable tool in helping to combat a range of social problems covering, health, education and crime.

"We are very grateful to Louvolite for its continued support and look forward to working with them for many more years and extending this mutually beneficial partnership."

The ABAE also has a partnership with the Royal Navy, which supports junior boxing, but the agreement with Louvolite follows a re-vamp of amateur boxing's sponsorship arrangements earlier this year.

This came about when the umbrella organisation set up to manage the Olympic programme - the British Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) - appointed Andy Dawson as commercial director in August to identify partnership opportunities for the GB Boxing Olympic squad and grassroots boxing.

Dawson, who formerly worked as commercial director for Hull City Football Club and Derby County Football Club, is based at BABA's headquarters at the English Institute of Sport (EIS) in Sheffield and played a strong role in helping secure the extension of the partnership between the ABAE and Louvolite.

David Robinson, sales and marketing director of Louvolite, said: "We are proud to develop our long standing relationship with the ABAE.

"It is extremely encouraging to see the professionalism with which the ABAE has promoted the significant expansion of amateur boxing in recent years, especially the proliferation of boxing clubs within schools and throughout many areas of our local community."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]