Bikash Mohapatra salutes boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
A day after being extensively trolled in the social media for his gaffe describing late legendary boxer Muhammad Ali as a Keralite, Sports Minister E P Jayarajan admitted his "mistake." In a Facebook post, the minister, who was mauled on social media, said "a mistake is a mistake" and hoped the state's enlightened people and sports personalities would understand his folly. Soon after reports of Ali's passing away broke on Saturday, a Malayalam television channel had contacted the minister for a condolence message. In the phone-in news programme Jayarajan had said, "I came to know only now that Muhammad Ali had died in America. Ali was a prominent personality in Kerala's sports scenario. He had won several gold medals for Kerala and had taken our state's fame skyhigh.. I wish to convey Kerala's sorrow and the sorrow of the state's sport lovers." Explaining the circumstances that led to the mistake, Jayayrajan said he was on his way to attend a function when he was called by the television channel for his reaction. The person who called him said "our Muhammad Ali died in America. He has won several gold medals," and that the minister should give a condolence message, Jayarajan said.
Important bouts in the career of former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali.
'He spoke to the fact that his West Indies -- a team that brings joy wherever it goes, the one team that plays with a carefree spirit in these days of carefully calibrated professionalism -- played this tournament enveloped in a world of hurt,' says Prem Panicker, the legendary cricket writer, reviewing the World T20 final.
'Every Ali obituary I read made the point that he 'transcended his sport' -- a reference to the many battles he fought with America even as he fought in America.' 'What the obituaries leave out is that Ali equally transcended the boundaries of geography and of information -- as witness the Chennai teen who assimilated that most mobile of fighters through still images shorn of context.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances