World renowned boxer, Muhammad Ali died at
a hospital in the US city of Phoenix, Arizona, after being admitted on
Thursday.
He was suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that
was complicated by Parkinson's disease.
The funeral is expected to take place in Ali's hometown of
Louisville, Kentucky, his family said in a statement.
Crowned "Sportsman of the
Century" by Sports Illustrated and "Sports Personality of the Century"
by the BBC, Ali was noted for his pre- and post-fight talk and bold fight
predictions just as much as his boxing skills inside the ring.
But he was also a civil rights campaigner
and poet who transcended the bounds of sport, race and nationality.
Asked how he would like to be remembered,
he once said: "As a man who never sold out his people. But if that's too
much, then just a good boxer. I won't even mind if you don't mention how pretty
I was."
Ali turned professional immediately after
the Rome Olympics and rose through the heavyweight ranks, delighting crowds
with his showboating, shuffling feet and lightning reflexes.
George Foreman and Floyd Mayweather pour out their tributes
"Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest
human beings I have ever met. No doubt he was one of the best people to have
lived in this day and age." - George Foreman, Ali's friend and
rival in the Rumble in the Jungle
"There will never be another Muhammad
Ali. The black community all around the world, black people all around the
world, needed him. He was the voice for us. He's the voice for me to be where
I'm at today." - Floyd Mayweather, world champion boxer across
five divisions
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