Muhammed Ali, the boxing legend who told everyone he was the ‘greatest” as he set about proving it, has died at the age of 74.
But the three-time heavyweight champion of the world was much more than just a boxer. With his wit, eloquence and infectious bravado, he charmed the world and proved an inspiration to many; and, proving his courage was not just physical, he established himself as a signficant figure in the civil rights movement.
Conscientiously objecting to the Vietnam War made him unpopular at the time and earned him a three-and-a-half-year ban from his sport. Similarly, when he changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali after joining the Nation of Islam, he became America's highest profile Muslim in what was still a deeply Christian country.
Ali's death was confirmed by his family in a statement who said the family "would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and support" and asked for privacy,
He had battled Parkinson's disease for more than 30 years and was admitted to hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, with a respiratory condition earlier in the week.
The funeral will take place in Ali's home town of Louisville, Kentucky.
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