Sino-Central & Eastern European Ties: Croatian boxing star raises fund to help special needs children in China

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03:16

A boxing star from Croatia has won over many hearts in one eastern Chinese city. It's not just because of his passion for teaching boxing to local kids, but moreover, his earnest efforts in promoting public good. CGTN's Tang Bo takes us to Suzhou in Jiangsu Province.

This is Goran Martinovic's fifth year in China. As a former member of the Croatian national boxing team, he never imagined he'd one day live and work in China. He came to Suzhou four years ago to help his brother organize a boxing event. And he decided to stay, opening his own boxing gym a year later.

GORAN MARTINOVIC, OWNER BLACKTIE BOXING "Me and my brother came here and saw opportunities to create something different. Suzhou is the city of hope."

The boxing event that Martinovic and his brother first held in 2015 was a swell success. It has become one of Suzhou's city symbols that attracts boxers from around the world.

GORAN MARTINOVIC, OWNER BLACKTIE BOXING "We'll open a new boxing gym in the city's biggest shopping mall, and has planned to expand the business to other cities in Jiangsu Province."

TANG BO SUZHOU "From once a year to twice a year, the boxing event has become more and more popular in Suzhou with great business opportunities. But so far, all the money earned from the event has been donated. Where does it go? Goran says he has another important mission to accomplish."

These autistic children at Suzhou Ren'ai School are the first to benefit from Martinovic's newly established charity fund.

They are part of a special needs group in Suzhou that he has been helping over the past 4 years.

Born and bred in a country that endured a brutal civil war in the 1990s, Martinovic knows how important it is to build a healthy growing environment for children, including those with special needs.

GORAN MARTINOVIC, OWNER BLACKTIE BOXING "kids are the future. We need to open opportunities for our kids."

In total, 100,000 yuan, roughly 15,000 US dollars, from the fund will be given to the school to improve its education facilities.

FAN LI, PRINCIPAL SUZHOU REN'AI SCHOOL "We need a lot more teaching aid facilities than ordinary schools do to educate autistic children. That costs a lot. What Goran has been doing will largely reduce our fiscal burden."

MO RUIHUA, SECRETARY GENERAL SUZHOU INDUSTRIAL PARK CHARITY FEDERATION "His charity fund has injected new vitality into the city's charity federation. He also persuades his foreign friends living and working in Suzhou to be part of our charity work."

Now the very latest boxing event is about to kick off in June. Martinovic is checking out a local garden as a potential court on which to hold the competitions. He hopes to bring in a larger audience, and make more money to help more special needs children.

Tang Bo, CGTN, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.