Success story of Mahammad Ali...
Muhammad Ali born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. .(January
17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist,
and philanthropist. He is nicknamed "The Greatest" and is widely
regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of
the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Ali was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky and began training as an
amateur boxer at age 12. At 18, he won a gold medal in the light
heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics, and turned
professional later that year. He converted to Islam after 1961, and
eventually took the name Muhammad Ali. He won the world heavyweight
championship from Sonny Liston in a major upset at age 22 in 1964.
In 1966, Ali refused to be drafted into the military, citing his
religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War.He was arrested,
found guilty of draft evasion, and stripped of his boxing titles. He
appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which overturned his
conviction in 1971, but he had not fought for nearly four years and lost
a period of peak performance as an athlete. His actions as a
conscientious objector to the war made him an icon for the larger
counterculture generation,and he was a high-profile figure of racial
pride for African Americans during the civil rights movement.
Muhammad Ali, legendary heavyweightchampion, known for his unusual
wit and great generosity, is among the best who exemplify the power a
sportsperson can wield. He was not only a world cham- pion in his chosen
sport, but also an inspiring figure who influenced generations as he
stood up for Black rights, protested against war and deprivåtion, and
commanded an audien'ce with the best and the brightest, He.had the
unconditional love of millions of fans and used his influence for the
betterment of the human race. Closer home, MaryKom through her boxing
academy in Imphal is nurturing young boxers and givingthe. opportunities
she never had acqess toe Sportspersons, whichéver discipline they
choose, are also a glimmer of unifying hope in a nation divided along
religiouS and class lines; no one cares about Sania Mirza's religion or
Mary Kom's humble beginnings What matters is that they represent us, a
country of a billion plus people, realise some of ou? hopes and aspirations and by their successes, unite us as a nation. Of course, jingoistic nationalism in cricket is an issue we face but when you get to know about young sportspersons like Shiva Thapa (a boxer from Assam) receiving a rousing welcome by Indians in cities like London and Beijing, it restores
your faith in Indian natipnajism which is a beautiful and inclusive idea Sports, thus, can be the one thing that unites us when everything else fails.
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