Two days after being admitted in a hospital with a respiratory issue, legendary boxer Muhammad Ali died on Saturday.
According to a report in The Mirror:
The children of the sporting icon had rushed to be at his bedside as doctors treating the former heavyweight champ had told them they fear he “is near the end”.
On Thursday, Ali's spokesperson had said in a written statement "Ali, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, is being treated by his team of doctors and is in fair condition."
CNN reported that Ali, who suffered from Parkinson's disease, was previously hospitalized in January 2015 with a urinary tract infection and in December 2014 with pneumonia.
The report adds:
Ali was born as Cassius Clay and in 1960 won an Olympic gold medal as a light-heavyweight. In 1964, he defeated Sonny Liston by KO in the seventh round and became the World Heavyweight Champion. It was also the year he converted and joined the Nation of Islam, changing his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali.
BBC reported:
One of the most high-profile global sporting stars, Ali's name transcends sport like few others. He became the first three-time world heavyweight champion in 1978, having first won the title in 1964 and again in 1974.
Ali was also known for his social activism. He refused to enroll in the army during the Vietnam war and also met with Saddam Hussein to negotiate the release of hostages.
In 2005, then President George W Bush presented Ali with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.