The Tribune

By AZALETA ISHMAEL-NEWRY

NEWLY-appointed Bahamas Non-Resident Ambassador to Qatar Tony Joudi said yesterday that he was deeply saddened to learn of the death of his friend Muhammad Ali, the former boxing champion and civil rights activist, who had made a lasting impact on his life.

Mr Ali, a three-time world heavyweight-boxing champion, Olympic gold medallist, civil rights activist and humanitarian, was admired around the world, in and out of the ring. He died on Friday night from complications arising from Parkinson’s Disease in a Phoenix, Arizona, hospital aged 74.

Mr Joudi said: “The timing of Ali’s death has caused me to reflect on our friendship and the influence he had on me.” Their friendship spanned many decades, starting as a business relationship in Chicago in the late 1970s. In the early 1980s, Mr Joudi found his love for foreign affairs when Mr Ali took him to Saudi Arabia as an Arabic interpreter for a meeting with King Khalid Bin Saud.

Over a dinner with Mr Ali at the Conference Palace that included his third wife, Veronica Porsche, and his manager, Herbert Mohammed, the boxing legend had suggested to Mr Joudi that one day he should become an ambassador as they were both passionate about foreign relations.

“We had raised funds for Ali’s many charities,” explained Mr Joudi. “Our trip to the king was successful and Ali had praised me for my language and network skills. He told me that I should put it to good use in international relations.”

A few years later, Mr Ali was instrumental in starting a chain of events that led Mr Joudi towards a potential political career in the United States. Mr Ali had asked his attorney, Charles Lomax, a partner in the law firm, Sidley and Austin, to introduce Mr Joudi to Sam Skinner, who was highly connected in the political world. Mr Skinner later became the secretary of transportation and then chief of staff for US President George Bush Sr.

They quickly realised that Mr Joudi was a perfect fit for international relations, and he was invited to join the US State Department as deputy assistant undersecretary for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs. He was also asked to serve on the Republican Presidential Task Force.

At the time of President Bush’s invitation, Mr Joudi’s work commitments in the Bahamas had increased and he did not pursue US politics. He went into partnership with AMEE International and together they completed many local projects, including work on phase one of the Atlantis Resort.

As he moves into his new role as an ambassador, a career that Mr Ali had predicted for him, Mr Joudi is grateful for the time he spent with “The Greatest”.

“Muhammad Ali is a legend that will continue to live in my heart and I will remember him as a man who did what he believed, and he helped create a better world for us,” said Mr Joudi.

Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky. Revered by millions worldwide and reviled by millions more, he cut quite a figure at 6ft 3in and 210 pounds in his prime. His quick hands and feet marked him as a unique heavyweight boxer. He fought in three different decades, finished with a win-loss record of 56-5 with 37 knockouts and was the first man to win the world heavyweight title three times. Mr Ali’s last fight was in Nassau in December, 1981, when he lost to Trevor Berbick.

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