THE Guyana Boxing Association has combined forces with McNeal Enterprise for a tribute to the late great boxing and civil rights icon Muhammad Ali.Ali, who died on June 3 2016, had been suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson’s disease.
Sunday’s Event, according to head of the McNeal Enterprise, Odinga Lumumba, is more than just remembering a great boxing icon, it is about remembering a man who touched the lives of many outside of the squared circle.
“He made an impact on Guyanese boxers and he has inspired many young people. Mr. Ali created an atmosphere that Black America could have fought for – more freedom in the turbulent days – and made a lasting impact on the world,” Lumumba said.
He continued, “It will be a simple ceremony, we will give thanks for his life and show parts of his greatest fights; so those who knew him can remember and those who didn’t know him can have a sense of what a great and compassionate person he was.”
“We have invited several notable Guyanese, boxers, students and leaders to come and pay tribute to the late, great Muhammad Ali,” he continued.
Lumumba reminded that Ali “was not just a boxer, he was a teacher and a leader and I felt that we needed to honour the things he had done in particular for those who have been oppressed.”
GBA president Steve Ninvalle indicated that the venture is one of many the body and McNeal Enterprises will embark on in the future and the fact that one of the greatest boxers is now a memory, the need to keep his work alive remains important.
Tributes start at 17:00hrs at the ceremony which will be held at the Impeccable Hall on Brickdam. (Stephan Sookram)