Asilbek in China [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

My name is Asilbek, I was born and raised in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. A city rich in culture, architecture, history and delicious food. Before coming to China, I was a professional kayaker. I have participated in many national and international competitions. At the age of 18 years, I had achieved big and have become a master of sport in this field in my country.

I came to China in 2018, the first couple of months in China made me realize the impact of e-commerce on people's lives when the cashier at a convenience shop frowned to me, "Alipay or WeChat?", yet I stared awkwardly at the cashier for few seconds before I realized what she meant. I fumbled around my pockets for my phone, too embarrassed to collect the receipt afterwards. And within two years, I did not know I would become a part of this rapid change in digitalization.

In 2019, I got an opportunity to study at Hangzhou Normal University, Alibaba Business School where I have gained knowledge and a deeper understanding of e-commerce to drive positive changes.

As a student at Alibaba Business School, I was surprised by the entire infrastructure of my school and the city of Hangzhou, which opens huge opportunities for entrepreneurship.

Since very beginning, I have been getting good results, encouragement and my professors recommended me to join several projects. Therefore, I became a live-streamer for Alibaba.com who is the world's largest cross-border B2B e-commerce platform.

From 2020, I have done quite a lot of live-stream broadcasts for different trading companies, suppliers and manufacturers in China whose targeted clients are living overseas.

In my experience, I would say: "Livestream is not only about selling – it's a means to connect with people from all over the world by building trust”.

I believe that the younger generation plays a major role in building a modern society, and a healthy digital youth will be the basis of growth and prosperity. That’s the reason that hard work and perseverance of Chinese youth have turned me into a person who is always ready to take on a challenge.

In the future, I wish to become a volunteer for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 where I can inspire more people into the spirit of sports. In the meantime, I hope to use my story to inspire young people in my home country to pursue their dreams by marching a small step forward each day.

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