MUHAMMAD ALI 1942- 2016
THE WORLD is in mourning following the death of Muhammad Ali – the greatest sportsman of all time.
The three- time world heavyweight champion, who had battled Parkinson’s disease for 32 years, died late on Friday night.
He had been taken to hospital in Arizona last week with respiratory problems.
Following his death, the father- of- nine’s distraught family issued a statement thanking “everyone for their thoughts, prayers and support”.
Tributes poured in from around the world for the iconic boxer – who was nearly as famous for the quickness of his wit as for the speed of his hands.
Perhaps fittingly, it was from the world of boxing – and a former enemy he faced in the ring – where the most poignant tribute came from.
George Foreman, Ali’s friend and rival from the famous Rumble in the Jungle fight in Zaire in 1974, said: “We were like one guy – part of me is gone.”
His last public appearance was in April, when he looked frail, a shadow of the colossus made famous by a thousand ringside snaps, at a celebrity dinner in Phoenix, Arizona.
Boxing promoter Bob Arum has praised Ali as the catalyst who “paved the way for Barack Obama to be elected as the first black President of the United States”.
“The impact he had and the evolution he brought led people to accept the integration of blacks into American society,” he said.
“When history books are read in 50 years’ time, there will be a significant chapter about Muhammad Ali in the history of American civilisation.”
Ali’s spokesman confirmed the tragic news to the world with a simple, brief statement.
“After a 32- year battle with Parkinson’s, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74,” he said.
He was taken to hospital with an “unshakeable cough”. His fatal respiratory problems likely to have been complicated by the Parkinson’s.
Ali’s family said his funeral would be held in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky,