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29 March 2024

Muhammad Ali's daughter says boxing legend on road to recovery

Published
By Agencies

Muhammad Ali's daughter has assured fans of the boxing legend that her dad is wellon the road to recovery after he was hospitalised with pneumonia over the weekend.

"My daddy is a strong man. He's so resilient and we're all very grateful and blessed," Rasheda Ali-Walsh told TMZ.com.

"When I see my dad, I'm gonna tell him about all the people who have sent their love. I know it's gonna make him feel great to know all these people are thinking about him. He'll love it," she added.|

'Improved'

The condition of Muhammad Ali has "vastly improved" since he was admitted to the hospital over the weekend with a mild case of pneumonia and doctors hope to discharge the boxing legend soon, a spokesman said on Monday.

Ali, 72, was admitted to a hospital in an undisclosed location on Saturday morning.

"The Ali family continues to request privacy and appreciates all of the prayers and well wishes," spokesman Bob Gunnell said. "No further details are being released."

Earlier report: Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was in stable condition after being hospitalised with a "mild" case of pneumonia, his spokesman Bob Gunnell said Saturday night.

The 72-year-old Ali was admitted Saturday and isn't expected to remain in the hospital long, Gunnell said.

"He was admitted earlier this morning and because the pneumonia was caught early, his prognosis is good with a short hospital stay expected," he said.

Gunnell said Ali is being treated by a "team of doctors" but did not go into detail or say where Ali was admitted.

Pneumonia can be a dangerous complication of Parkinson’s, the debilitating neurological condition Ali has suffered from since about 1984.

Parkinson’s causes shaking, balance problems and general loss of muscle control.

Ali’s doctor Abraham Lieberman warned in November that Parkinson’s can be deadly because it makes sufferers susceptible to falling and pneumonia, as people with the disease have trouble swallowing.
 


Ali appeared in public in September when he attended the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards in Louisville, Kentucky where he keeps a home.

 

The retired three-time world heavyweight champion was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984, at age 42.

Muhammad has appeared in public several times over the past few years.

Last month, two of his daughters, Maryum and Hana, debunked reports that said his health was deteriorating.

"He has never been on his deathbed," Maryum told BBC Sport. "He has Parkinson's, he has had it for 30 years and it is a progressive degenerative disease but he does well and is healthy outside the Parkinson's."

She said that their father "enjoys his life and he is clear-minded."

His Parkinson's has, however, affected his speech.

"In the morning he is at his best and he is talking clear and low and you can hear every word," Hana told BBC Sports.

"It is too bad the world doesn't get to see that. As the day goes on, he gets more exhausted but he is not in any physical pain and is exactly the same person inside. Sometimes when you call him and his energy is low, he just make a clicking noise down the phone."

During the interview with the BBC, Lieberman said Ali did not have trouble swallowing.
Gunnell said Ali was being treated by a "team of doctors" but did not go into detail or say where Ali was admitted.

In recent years, Ali has made fewer public appearances as Parkinson's has increasingly taken its toll.

He was seen in September when he attended the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards in Louisville, Kentucky where Ali was born and where he keeps a home.

Ali had a storied career as a professional boxer from 1960 to 1981.

He dazzled the boxing world with slick moves in the ring and enamored the public with his wit and engaging personality.

He beat George Foreman in one of the greatest fights of all time dubbed 'The Rumble in The Jungle', held in 1974 in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ali also had a thrilling rivalry with heavyweight Joe Frazier that saw the two men slug it out in the ring and verbally spar out of it.

Ali was rarely afraid to spark political controversy, and his heyday coincided with the US civil rights movement and the Vietnam War.

He converted to Islam in 1964, changing his name from Cassius Clay. Ali refused to join the armed forces in 1967 on religious grounds.

After his refusal he was convicted of draft dodging and banned from boxing for years. In 1971 the US Supreme Court overturned the conviction.

It has been claimed that the head shots the boxing great took in the ring during his 21-year career contributed to his disease.

But Lieberman said in November he could not be sure if there was a connection between the effect of the punches and the disease.

Ali has been given dozens of nods to his stature as a global icon, lighting the Olympic torch in 1996 and being named a UN messenger of peace in 1998.

He received the US's highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.

In addition to Kentucky, he also lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.