The Zhejiang team, led by Yang Xiangzhong, had high hopes for Zhang Wen winning the gold medal in the 91 kg category at the boxing competition of the 11th National Games. However, the defending champion Zhang Wen was unexpectedly eliminated in the first round, possibly due to excessive pressure. Zhang Xiaozhou from Yueqing, Wenzhou, was also eliminated in the first round of the 48 kg category. Nevertheless, Coach Yang commented on his disciple, saying that Zhang Xiaozhou, the national champion in 2007, still has great potential. "He is not yet fully accustomed to the new scoring system, and his draw position was unfavorable. Even if he had passed the first round, he would have faced off against Olympic champion Zou Shiming in the second round, making a loss almost certain," said Yang. Fortunately, Chen Hongwei from Taizhou won a silver medal in the 69 kg category. Yang Xiangzhong expressed satisfaction with this result but still felt regretful about not winning the boxing gold medal. "We'll start anew for the next National Games," he said.
As the head coach of the Zhejiang team, Yang Xiangzhong led key players in closed training in Ningbo for nearly two years in preparation for the National Games. Only he knows the hardships endured during this time. He had no holidays during festivals and did not return to his hometown in Yueqing to visit his parents. "It was very busy during the preparation period. This is how sports teams operate; it's normal not to have rest," Yang Xiangzhong said.
Speaking about boxing in Wenzhou, Yang Xiangzhong mentioned that as a native of Wenzhou, he pays close attention to the reserve talent there. In fact, Wenzhou has many talented martial artists and boxers, and he hopes more promising athletes will emerge. Yang Xiangzhong expressed his intention to consider coming to Wenzhou to select team members.