PHOENIX (SW): Crowned as the “Sportsman of the Century”, the former world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali Clay died at a hospital in the US city of Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday.
He was suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson's disease. Ali was noted for his pre- and post-fight talk and bold fight predictions just as much as his boxing skills inside the ring.
He was also a civil rights campaigner and poet who transcended the bounds of sport, race and nationality. The BBC has added that Ali was once asked how he would like to be remembered, he then 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."
In his professional achievements, Ali won Olympic light-heavyweight gold in 1960, was world heavyweight champion from 1964 to 1967, 1974 to 1978 and 1978 to 1979, had 61 professional bouts, winning 56 (37 knockouts, 19 decisions), and losing five (4 decisions, 1 retirement).
Ali converted to Islam in 1975, and 30 years later began adhering to Sufism.
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