My dad's legacy lives on through the IBA, says Rasheda Ali

RASHEDA Ali was just three years old when her daddy, Muhammad Ali, stepped into the ring for arguably the most celebrated boxing bout of all time, 'The Rumble in the Jungle' on October 30, 1974, in Kinshasa.

- ZAAHIER ADAMS

Ali’s exceptional reflexes and athleticism were all brought to life on that fateful morning in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) through his lightning footwork, superior head movement, a unique low-hand guard, and the famous "rope-a-dope" technique.

Rasheda’s recollection of the actual fight is limited and based more on the black-and-white film tapes she’s watched countless times. And while she still swoons over the beauty he portrayed in a sport that’s infamous for its brutality, the recollection of her great father lies more in the legacy that he left outside of the ring.

“Yes, I think my dad has done so much while he was here on the earth. What he tried to do was, he tried to be an example of how we should treat each other. My dad was an advocate for, he was a champion, he was a peace ambassador, he was the greatest in the ting and also out,” Rasheda exclusively told Independent Media on the outskirts of the IBA’s Golden Era launch in Istanbul.