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Muhammad Ali

LOUISVILLE. — Thousands of people from near and far were expected to line the streets of Muhammad Ali’s hometown Louisville yesterday to say goodbye to the boxing legend and civil rights hero, who mesmerised the world with his dazzling skills. A funeral procession through town, a private burial and a public memorial service will wrap up two days of tributes to the three-time heavyweight world champion, who died last week at 74 after a long battle with Parkinson’s.

Born Cassius Clay in 1942, the boxer won Olympic gold and went on to a glorious professional career, with his epic fights — like the “Rumble in the Jungle” with George Foreman and the “Thrilla in Manila” with Joe Frazier — now the stuff of sports legend.

He shocked America by refusing to serve in Vietnam, a decision that cost him his title and his career for years. He earned scorn for his incendiary comments about his opponents, once calling Frazier a “gorilla”. But Ali later earned global respect as a civil rights activist who preached religious tolerance, and for his public battle with a disease that ravaged his once powerful body.

Actor Will Smith — who earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Ali on the silver screen — and former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis were expected to be among the pallbearers.

Tyson’s participation was only confirmed early yesterday. “The grief that he showed was immense, he did not know at the time if he could do that emotionally . . but apparently yesterday he decided he had to be here,” family spokesman Bob Gunnell said.

An anonymous donor pledged to cover the path to the grave with red rose petals. Yesterday afternoon, Ali was honoured at an interfaith memorial service at a large sports arena that brought together VIPs and fans alike, with former US president Bill Clinton and comedian Billy Crystal set to give eulogies.

Some 15 500 people were expected to attend — with free tickets snapped up in a half-hour and a black market for the coveted tickets sprouting online. President Barack Obama could not be present at the funeral of the man he calls a “personal hero” since it coincided with his daughter Malia’s graduation from high school.

But the US president published a video message on Thursday in which he displayed two mementos given to him by “The Champ” — a book of photographs and a set of gloves — which he has kept near to him through his time in the White House.

“This week we lost an icon,” Obama said in the message. “A person who for African Americans, I think, liberated their minds in recognising that they could be proud of who they were.”

“I grew up watching him. I grew up having my identity shaped by what he accomplished,” he said. “The incredible gestures of love and support that he showed me was one of the great blessings of my life.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had been scheduled to attend yesterday’s memorial service but cut short his trip to the US after a disagreement with funeral organisers, Turkish media reported.

The abrupt departure came after organisers refused to allow Erdogan to lay a cloth from the Kaaba — the cube-shaped structure at the centre of Islam’s most sacred mosque — on Ali’s coffin during Muslim funeral prayers on Thursday, the Hurriyet Daily News reported, citing information from the president’s office.

Erdogan’s bodyguards and US Secret Service agents had also clashed briefly as they jointly guarded the Turkish president, the newspaper said. On Thursday, thousands came together for the Muslim prayer service in remembrance of Ali, who converted to Islam in 1964, changing his name to Muhammad Ali.

The brief ceremony brought together dignitaries and ordinary fans, honouring a man known for both his tenacity in the ring and his social activism outside of it. Muslim men and women prayed in separate rows, most of the latter with their heads veiled. Imam Zaid Shakir, who helped organise the prayer service, said Ali had “a very, very special significance for the Muslim community.”

“My hero was locked in his body,” said Louisville taxi driver Fred Dillon, referring to Ali’s fight with Parkinson’s. Now he can float like a butterfly.” — AFP.