In what has been dubbed a small step for the boxer but a giant leap for Chinese boxing, Zou Shimming has been named China's boxing ambassador after he secured a win against Hungarian rival Jozsef Atjai in his debut match in the US.

The flyweight match took place on June 11 at the famous Madison Square Gardens, New York where Zou beat Atjai 100-89.

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According to the South China Morning Post, Zou commented on his rival's strategy during the match and said that it seemed as though he merely wanted to stand till the very last and was "afraid of the competition."  

Zou, 35, hails from China's Guizhou area. The hardworking amateur boxer came under the spotlight during the 2004 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships, where he won the silver medal. He later went on to represent China at three Olympics in 2004 at Athens, 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London, in the light flyweight category. While he won the country bronze in 2004, he won China's first even gold medal in Olympic boxing in 2008 and the second gold in 2012.

Zou is steadily gaining on his rivals and moving closer to the pinnacle of his career, inspiring many Asian boxers to dare to dream big.

According to China Daily, what made the victory even more special for Zou was the venue, which had hosted some of the most iconic fighters including Muhammad Ali.  

Meanwhile, Freddie Roach, Zou's coach, has announced that the boxer's next move would probably be to challenge flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada.

TagsZou shimming, greatest boxers of all time, Boxing News, Boxing, Olympic Games, madison square garden, Muhammad Ali, China sports, China sports news 2015, China sports news 2016, manny pacquiao, Juan Estrada, freddie roach