"His fight outside the ring would cost him his title and his public standing"the US president said. (File Photo)
Washington, United States:
President Barack Obama paid tribute Saturday to late boxing great Muhammad Ali, saying that he was a towering champion "who fought for what was right" not just in the ring but outside it as well.
The former heavyweight champion, who passed away late Friday after struggling for years with Parkinson's, was "a man who fought for us," the US president said.
"His fight outside the ring would cost him his title and his public standing. It would earn him enemies on the left and the right, make him reviled, and nearly send him to jail. But Ali stood his ground. And his victory helped us get used to the America we recognize today."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The former heavyweight champion, who passed away late Friday after struggling for years with Parkinson's, was "a man who fought for us," the US president said.
"His fight outside the ring would cost him his title and his public standing. It would earn him enemies on the left and the right, make him reviled, and nearly send him to jail. But Ali stood his ground. And his victory helped us get used to the America we recognize today."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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