One of the world’s greatest champions, Muhammad Ali, is back in the news after being admitted to an undisclosed hospital Saturday with pneumonia, according to reports.
According to Bob Gunnell, Ali’s spokesman, the former three-time heavyweight champion is in a stable condition. “Ali, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, is being treated by his team of doctors and is in stable condition,†Gunnell said in a statement.
Physicians caught early, and Ali, 72, is not expected to be in the hospital for a lengthy period of time. “The prognosis is good,†Mr. Gunnell said. Ultimately, he gave no other details and asked that the privacy of Ali’s family be respected.
Ali recently posted his first selfie photo on Instagram during the Louisville Cardinals rout against the Kentucky Wildcats in college football. Before that, he appeared in public at a ceremony in September in his hometown of Louisville for the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards.
Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Clay and won an Olympic gold medal as a light-heavyweight at age 18. In 1964, he became world heavyweight champion in an upset victory against then champion Sonny Liston, according to Ali’s official website. The popular pugilist changed his name to Muhammad Ali to reflect his conversion to Islam.
The Greatest endeared himself to the entire world when he protested the war in Vietnam by refusing to be drafted into service out of religious conviction. He retired from boxing in 1981 and announced his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease three years later.
On the following pages, a few notable people offer their thoughts and prayers about Ali’s condition. You can leave yours in the comments section below!
SOURCE: BBC