Bill Clinton pays tribute to Muhammad Ali on his 70th birthday

Washington, Jan 18(ANI): Former US president Bill Clinton has paid his tribute to boxing champion Muhammad Ali on his 70th birthday.

Clinton feels the courage, which Ali has shown throughout his life, not only in boxing, is truly exceptional.

Ali is counted among some of world's biggest fighters but Clinton believes that Ali fought his biggest battle over the past 18 years after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, The Mirror Sport reports.

"He made it (boxing) part theatre, part dance and all power. He was really something unique. And then when he risked it all to oppose the Vietnam war, in a funny way it could have destroyed him," said Clinton.

Clinton said Ali is a brave man and is always ready to pay the consequence of standing for the right thing.

"But it didn't because people realized he had been very forthright and he was prepared to pay the price for his convictions."

"He could say 'I'm not mouthing off about this, this is the way I'm prepared to live and prepared to pay whatever the consequences are for standing up for what I believe in," he added."That, over the long run, made him even more fans. It's that kind of courage which he has manifested for as long as I've known him, and in dealing with his own illness."It took a sack full of guts to carry that Olympic flame up that ramp the last distance with his hands shaking in 1996 (in Atlanta), but he did it."And it's taken a lot of courage to continue to go out, to be seen, he wasn't self conscious. He's something special."One day when were together it hit me - and we have spent lots of time together over the last several years - the courage he has showed, as an older man."Struggling with Parkinsons he has shown a different kind of, and perhaps a greater courage than he showed as a young man risking having his body, face and brain battered by the shock of boxing," he added. (ANI)