Chinese national women's boxing champion eyes world title

Updated：2007-06-25 From：Xinhuanet

CHANGCHUN, Northeast China, June 24 (Xinhua) -- "I want to be the world champion next year," said Li Jinzi, who just won the gold medal of the 75 kg women's division at the first Chinese national boxing championships.

Li, who won a silver medal in this year's world championships, knocked out Wang Shaotang from south China's Anhui province in the final for the gold.

After the victory, Li told Xinhua: "I don't think I played well today, merely exerting 40 percent of my full strength, and my rival failed to play her best, either."

The women's boxing is not an Olympic sport and Li cannot compete for her country in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games but she is confident that she can win the top honor in the Shanghai world championships next year.

"Yes, my aim is to win the world champion next year," she said.

Born in Heilongjiang province in 1987, Li started professional boxing training at the age of 13. In the 2006 world championships in New Delhi, she lost to an local player in the final merely by a few points.