Daily Times

On Friday, June 3, 2016, boxing legend Muhammad Ali left this world for his heavenly abode at the age of 74. Ali, one of the best-known figures of this century, was hospitalised for a respiratory ailment but could not recover. Ali suffered from Parkinson’s disease, because of the barrage of punches he faced during his career, for more than three decades and kept a low profile in recent years. Even in his low profile he was the most loved athlete on this planet. It is impossible to define the legacy of Ali. No doubt, he was the ‘Greatest.’ Ali transcended sport and spectacle. He was a larger than life figure. It is really amazing that he inspired millions around the globe and is known even in remote villages in countries far from the United States. He took boxing to unbelievable heights. In a 20-year fighting career he captured the imagination not only of fans of the sport, but also of millions for whom fights held no interest. In this way he transcended prize-fighting to become one of the most enduring icons of the 20th century. Long-time boxing promoter Bob Arum has rightly said: “Ali transformed the USA and impacted the world with his spirit. His legacy will be part of our history for all time.”

Ali never shied away from taking on fights regardless of the odds against him. He single-handedly revived and ignited the dying sport of boxing with the injection of his unique style of boxing the publicity and hype, and brought glamour and glitz to heavyweight boxing championship. Boxing owes him a big debt of gratitude. This is why even 30-odd years after his retirement he remained an icon, even to those who never lived through the 1970s and 1980s and were born long after he entered the ring for the last time. He was what we all aspire to be as human beings. Certainly no other pugilist in the world before Ali had achieved and even after him will achieve the same sort of adulation.

At the height of his career, Ali was known for his dancing feet and quick fists and his ability, as he put it, to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. He held the heavyweight title a record three times, and Sports Illustrated named him the top sportsman of the 20th century. Nicknamed “The Greatest”, Ali retired from boxing in 1981 with a record of 56 wins, 37 by knockout, and five losses. Ali’s diagnosis of Parkinson’s came about three years after he left the ring. Ali, born in Louisville, Kentucky, as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, changed his name in 1964 after his conversion to Islam.

Ali had a show-time personality that he melded with dazzling footwork and great hand speed. His bouts with such fighters as Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and George Foreman made him an international celebrity like boxing had never seen. He became a symbol for black liberation during the 1960s as he stood up to the USA government by refusing to go into the Army for religious reasons. Ali made a surprise appearance at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, stilling the Parkinson’s tremors in his hands enough to light the Olympic flame. He also took part in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012, looking frail in a wheelchair. He was married four times and left behind nine children.

The 15 years from 1960 to 1975 belonged to him. He emerged as a champion of the less heard with his powerful dissent against the American war on Vietnam. It was not just what he said but the down-to-earth manner in which he said it which endeared him to those pursuing civil liberties. And even when he could not speak as frequently in the latter years because of his illness, his nod was most sought after to give movement and sting to any campaign he chose to support. Ali’s generosity to charities knew no bounds. He gave his time as well as his money, and without wearing his heart on his sleeve established an instant rapport with the sick and the poor. The phenomena of Ali will be remembered in times to come even by those who never saw him in his heyday as a man who embodied not only physical prowess but as a man of honour and principle. He was one of the most irresistible and compelling personalities. We will always love you, and you will always be in our hearts, Ali. Rest in peace.