Louisville in
Kentucky is set to rename its airport after late boxing legend Muhammad Ali,
who was born in the city.
The announcement came just
a day before Ali would have turned 77. The boxing legend who was born in
Louisville, Kentucky, on Jan 17, 1942, died in 2016 at the age of 74.
The new name of the airport
will be Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, officials announced on
Wednesday.
In a statement posted on
social media, the airport said its board “voted meaningfully” to recognise his
legacy as a Louisville native by renaming the airport in his honour. The airport’s
three-letter location identifier – SDF – will not change.
“Muhammad became one of the
most well-known people to ever walk the Earth and has left a legacy of
humanitarianism and athleticism that has inspired billions of people,” said
Mayor Greg Fischer in a press release from the board. “It important that we, as
a city, further champion The Champ’s legacy, and the airport renaming is a
wonderful next step.”
Lonnie Ali, his widow, said
she was proud of the board’s decision.
“Muhammad was a global
citizen, but he never forgot the city that gave him his start,” she said in the
statement.
Ali died at the age of 74,
after a decades-long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was buried in a
private ceremony in Louisville, after his coffin passed by thousands of
well-wishers in the city’s streets.
No comments:
Post a Comment