LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (April 4, 2016) — The longstanding and widely distributed European newspaper, La Gazzetta dello Sport, located in Italy, named Muhammad Ali as the “Athlete of the Century” in recognizing its 120 years of publication.
“This is a very prestigious honor for me,” stated Ali. “It’s hard to believe that I’ve been retired from the ring for thirty-five years and I’m still being given this honor and awarded the title of “Athlete of the Century” by La Gazzetta dello Sport, the biggest sports publication in Europe. I want to thank everyone at La Gazzetta and all my friends and fans throughout Europe. Some of my biggest fans are from Europe and I love them all. Without their support, I know this honor would not have been possible.”
Photo by Jeff Julian.
ABOUT THE MUHAMMAD ALI CENTER
The Muhammad Ali Center, a 501(c)3 corporation, was co-founded by Muhammad Ali and his wife Lonnie in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. The international cultural center promotes the six core principles of Muhammad Ali (Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality) in ways that inspire personal and global greatness and provides programming and events around the focus areas of education, gender equity, and global citizenship. Its newest initiative, Generation Ali, fosters a new generation of leaders to contribute positively to their communities and to change the world for the better. The Center’s headquarters also contains an award-winning museum experience. For more information, please visit www.alicenter.org