Goran Marinovic poses with children and school staff at an event last year, during which he donates $14,320 to Suzhou Ren'ai School to help autistic children. [Photo/Asia News Service]

Boxing star Goran Martinovic asked his relatives and friends in Croatia to purchase as many medical masks from pharmacies as possible. The masks are not intended for them but for people thousands of kilometers away in China.

The former Croatian boxing champion bought 20,000 masks. His mother delivered them via air freight on Tuesday and Wednesday to Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, where he currently lives.

The masks will be donated to the local charity for allocation.

"Suzhou is my second home, and I know we will fight through this together and win," he says.

As Chinese people are combating the outbreak of the new coronavirus epidemic, foreigners like Martinovic are offering a helping hand.

Martinovic, 33, learned boxing from the age of 3. He boxed for the national team in Croatia and won multiple titles in Europe.

In 2015, he came to Suzhou to help his brother set up the Suzhou Showdown, a white-collar boxing event. Since then, he has organized charity events every year, through which 200,000 yuan ($28,700) have been raised for girls with cleft lips and palates or leukemia. Some 10,000 people in the city, including foreigners, participated in the fundraisings.

"I believe love is stronger than fists," he says.

In 2017, he opened a gym in Suzhou, coaching local workers in boxing and wrestling. He also coaches impoverished kids free of charge.

In April, he founded a foundation in his name. Later last year, he won the Jiangsu provincial government friendship award, which is the highest honor the province can bestow on a foreigner.

Seeing the challenge the country is facing in this difficult time, Martinovic says he wants to help.

"I am trying my best to order protective masks from Croatia and Serbia," he says, adding that he also plans to donate medical gloves.

The total confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection reached more than 40,000 on the Chinese mainland by Monday, with over 900 deaths reported. The virus outbreak has triggered a sharp increase in demand for masks.

Martinovic is not the only one showing international friendship in China's battle against the epidemic. The city of Satsumasendai in Japan, a "sister city" of Jiangsu's Changshu, has urgently delivered 30,000 masks. According to the city government of Suzhou, more than 20 international friendly exchange cities have donated medical materials or expressed their concern and condolences through emails.

Further, a number of international enterprises have shown their love, including Samsung's Suzhou company, which donated 30 million yuan to aid China in combating the virus, the city government says.

Martinovic now spends most of his time at home, as his gym has suspended operation for now. He says after donating the masks, he will develop a home-exercise program and share it online.

"Difficulties are temporary. After all this, everyone will pay more attention to physical health and love life more."