Jakarta fans welcome Muhammad Ali

Jakarta fans welcome Muhammad Ali

JAKARTA (JP): Expressionless, the tall man shuffled to the
door of the Soekarno-Hatta international airport amid astonished
shouts of "Ali! Ali" and waving hands.

The former world heavyweight champion then halted in the midst
of the crowd, his hands trembling as he passed out leaflets
titled Introducing Islam and The Concept of God in Islam.

When asked whether he was still thinking of boxing despite the
"punch drunk" syndrome first diagnosed in 1984, he gestured "No,"
and then said quietly, slurring the words, "I am 54 years old
now."

The fans might have been heartbroken to see the greatest
heavyweight champion in history -- gifted with unusually fast
reflexes, excellent hand-leg coordination and finely honed
defensive skills -- have to depart from his magic youth in such a
painful way.

And yet, the spirit forged by his personal slogan "I am the
greatest" still burns powerfully inside him.

The 1960 light-heavyweight Olympic champion then stood still
for a moment. His eyes, swept over his fans, picking a security
officer out of the crowd. Suddenly he raised his fists as if
ready for a fight, and jokingly took several jabs at the officer.
The jabs were not as fast as they would have been in the past,
but were enough to offer a glance of the glory of his heyday when
he floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee.

Despite the notable fixity of his face, it was evident that he
tried to smile while "trading punches" with the officer. He
appeared to very much enjoy his popularity, which, many believe,
lies between that of Elvis Presley and John F. Kennedy.

Ali entered a waiting Mercedes Benz only to come out again to
be among the crowd and to perform a magic trick with a red
handkerchief. Later he showed where the red cloth had
disappeared: a false thumb which covered his right thumb.

Ali arrived here yesterday as a goodwill ambassador for the
ongoing Islamic Conference Organization's Chamber of Commerce
meeting in Bandung, West Java, and for American food producer
Vitapro.

Ali, who is to stay here until Friday, will donate 100,000
meals to poor children through the Harapan Kita Foundation.

In today's boxing world, which is characterized by Mike
Tyson's pows and whams that drop his opponents in seconds and
which have earned him over US$50 million, Ali's visit here, his
third since 1972 and 1990, at least offers a glimpse of the good
old days where boxing was still as beautiful as a fine art. (arf)