Ali Gul Pir's heartfelt tribute to Muhammad Ali

KARACHI: When I was in my early teens, I had the privilege to study in a private school in Canada for a few years. The difficult part was that prior to this I was studying in Islamabad Model College for Boys, and it was a government-run school so you can imagine the contrast of education. When I reached Canada, the only English language words I knew were “Yes Miss” and I would say that to a male teacher as well and even if I wanted to say no.



My first social break came when the school took us on a field trip to an ice skating ring. Obviously every Canadian knew how to skate on ice but I could at most walk on snow and that too very slowly and cautiously. So I put on my skates and tried to step onto the ice. I fell flat on my face and as I looked up I saw the whole class standing around me and looking at me. I was embarrassed and petrified. But then a group of guys started chanting “Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee ALI!” and they kept chanting it to motivate me to get up and try again. So I did, I did to the point that after lots of practice I became the goalie for my school’s hockey team.

That phrase made me believe that I could do anything. Muhammad Ali taught me to believe in myself, when I didn’t even know who he was. He had been my bridge to people who did not know about Pakistan or who I was, because, the only Ali they knew, was him. I am so glad that the Ali they knew was him; it felt great being compared to him after I read up on Muhammad Ali.



So whenever I feel low, I go through his life and come across his sayings like “My only flaw is that sometimes I dont realise how great I am” and suddenly get a boost of motivation. If he can be so sure of his abilities and predict in which round he will knockout his opponent then I can achieve anything that I set out to do. If his name is the only one that is up on a wall, instead on the ground, at the walk of fame then my name can be up anywhere I want it to be. I will not follow the world’s laws, they will change for me.



Thank you Muhammad Ali for giving me so much without even knowing I exist. I can only imagine how much you gave to people who knew you and whom you knew. You will always be the greatest; you will always be my hero! “I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want.”

The writer is a rapper and comedian. He tweets @aligulpir

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2016.

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