"We are here to ring the bell of peace" he said.

UNESCO: MEDIA SERVICES

But Ali has been, and remains, The Champ in a larger and far more difficult ring: working for peace in a world filled with violence.

FORBES: Why Muhammad Ali is Still 'The Champ'

As the former Sport England chairman's comments suggest, British amateur boxing's recent successes inside the ring have not been matched by peace and harmony outside it.

BBC: New body to run GB Olympic boxing

The modern Games room is devoted exclusively to Pierre de Coubertin, the man credited with organising the modern Olympics in the 1890s, again in the name of peace among nations, as well as designing its interlocking ring symbol.

BBC: The story of the Olympics, with a bit of flair

The evening before the festivity of Saint Blaise in Dubrovnik, Croatia, as all the church bells in the city ring and white doves are released as symbols of peace, worshippers gather for a ritual healing of the throat to preserve them against illness.

UNESCO: Culture