The death of Muhammad Ali,
the three times heavyweight champion of the world, set off a torrent of
tributes from sporting stars, civil rights campaigners and ordinary
fans on Saturday reflecting how the silver-tongued boxer transcended
barriers of race and expectation.
He
died with four of his daughters gathered at his hospital bedside in
Scottsdale, Arizona, where he was being treated for breathing
difficulties.
The man
who called himself “The Greatest” and spent a career living up to his
own description died at the age of 74 on Friday night.
His death was confirmed by Bob Gunnell, his long-time spokesman, who said the cause was "septic shock" due to natural causes.
“It
was a very peaceful passing and they are with him as we speak,” he
said. “You know, we lost a great person in this world tonight.
Ali is survived by his fourth wife Lonnie, whom he married in 1986, and nine children.
A public funeral will take place in Ali's home town of Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday.
Fans
gathered outside the Osborn Medical Centre, where he died, taping roses
to the wall and lighting candles at a makeshift memorial.
His
daughter Hana Ali encapsulated what many saw as his unique combination
of strength and tenderness, describing her father as a "humble
mountain”.
Even Parkinson's could not stop him expressing his views in his usual eloquent and outspoken manner.
In
one of his final public statements at the end of last year, he took aim
at not just violent jihadists who brought carnage to Paris but at
politicians such as Donald Trump who sought to make political capital
from terrorist attacks.
"We
as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own
personal agenda. They have alienated many from learning about Islam,”
he said. “True Muslims know or should know that it goes against our
religion to try and force Islam on anyone."
Inevitably, Donald Trump, Republican candidate for president, sent a tweet in tribute, describing Ali as a “wonderful guy”.
His rival for the White
House, Hillary Clinton, issued a statement with her husband saying:
“From the day he claimed the Olympic gold medal in 1960, boxing fans
across the world knew they were seeing a blend of beauty and grace,
speed and strength that may never be matched again."
Friends
and rivals in the ring spoke of a boxer with an unorthodox style and a
magnetic personality. George Foreman, who lost the world title to Ali in
Zaire in a classic 1974 bout known as the Rumble in the Jungle, said:
"No doubt he was one of the best people to have lived in this day and
age. To put him as a boxer is an injustice."
He
added that Ali always loved London. “If he had been born and raised and
fought, he never would have changed his name,” he told the BBC's Today
programme. “They made him even as Cassius Clay feel like he was the
toast of the town.”
He lived his latter years near Phoenix, Arizona.
Source: MSN
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