A BOXING match has been initiated to raise funds to help ease the burden of a former boxing champion’s medical expenses and his subsequent recovery, sznews.com reported.

Li Dongya had been valiantly fighting against an illness for more than 20 days before he was transferred from the ICU to an ordinary medical ward last week, according to the report.

Li was born in a village in Henan Province, and his parents got divorced before he was born. After his mother remarried, he was taken care of by his granny. He fell in love with boxing by accident and thought it would change his life. However, it seems to him that misfortunes never come singly.

Talented and hard-working, Li won many prizes at boxing competitions and had shown promise in the field, but injuries accumulated over years of training finally forced him to say goodbye to the boxing ring and retire early. Later, he found a job at a boxing club and made a living as a boxing coach. Though reticent, he was very attentive in class and got along well with his students.

However, misfortune fell upon him again, as he was taken to the hospital with acute pancreatitis July 3. The next day, his illness worsened due to multiple organ failure. He later sank into a coma and was transferred to the ICU for observation.

(Zhang Yu)