A Dundee man granted a rare audience with legendary boxer Muhammad Ali said the meeting was “like a dream come true”.
Dr Asif Iqbal, 32, met the three-times heavyweight world champion at the inaugural Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards in Louisville, Kentucky, last week.
The former Dundee University postgraduate was invited to the red carpet event through his author friend, Felix Manuel Rodriguez, who wrote the book Dad, Me and Muhammad Ali.
Married father-of-one Asif said it was “amazing” to be in the presence of the man known to fans around the world as The Greatest. He said: “It was like a dream come true.
“There were over 800 people there, but I was one of the few who had the honour to actually meet Muhammad Ali. It was an amazing feeling. When he came into the room, it literally lit up. Being next to Ali was a remarkable feeling.
“He is the person who has made me dream big and achieve things in life and it was a honour to be in his presence. It was fantastic and I have a lot of great memories.”
Asif, who was the only person from Scotland invited to the event, rubbed shoulders with the likes of former US President Jimmy Carter and singer Christina Aguilera at the awards ceremony in the boxer’s home town.
Ali is suffering from Parkinson’s disease and his public appearances have become very rare, so when Asif got the invite he said he was not going to miss the chance of a lifetime to meet his hero.
Asif also received a personal autograph on the award card from Ali’s wife Lonnie, as well as getting to meet other members of the sportsman’s family.
Asif, a former university boxing team captain and third dan, said: “People in Great Britain have a great admiration for him. “He came out at the Olympics last year for about 30 seconds and thousands of people gave him a standing ovation. He is just a one-off and an inspiration for what he did not only in the ring, but outside it too.”