THE DEATH OF A LEGEND

The world awoke to devastating news that Muhammad Ali, the boxing legend, died at the age of 74. 

 

Tributes and support have come from all corners of the globe: from actors, boxers, musicians, and political figures, Ali was a beloved figure who touched the lives of many. He was a force in this world, with his name known by billions across the world, and that is probably one of the greatest accomplishments a person can dream of.

 

 

Ali and Politics

Unlike many other sports-persons of our time, Ali was not afraid to voice his political opinion. He was very upfront and vocal about his political beliefs, sometimes to the detriment of his career. Famously in 1966, he said that “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong… No Viet Cong ever called me nigger”, which led to him being banned from boxing in Illinois. Here is Muhammad Ali discussing his politics in an interview in 1974:

Quotes from Ali

Muhammad Ali was a great figure who came up with some spectacularly meaningful quotations.

• “Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams – they all have different names, but they all contain water. Just as religions do – they all contain truths.”
• “The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”
• “The man who has no imagination has no wings.”
• “Don’t count the days; make the days count.”
• “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”
• “Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”
• “Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter which color does the hating. It’s just plain wrong.”
• “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”

Image: Wikipedia