The news Muhammad Ali had arrived in Madras gripped the city in 1980. Everyone wanted to have a piece of ‘The Greatest’. And former international boxing brothers from Tamil Nadu D. Madhivanan and D. Elumalai were no different.
The siblings — 20 and 15 respectively then in 1980 — tried everything they could to meet Ali. But all Madhivanan managed to do was work his vocal cords over time and cheered for Ali during his match against Jimmy Ellis at the Nehru Stadium. His sibling Elumalai was unlucky not to witness the action even from the stands.
“Watching Ali unleash his fists right in front of my eyes was the most motivational and inspirational moment of my life. I was an up and coming boxer in the state then and my coach C.R. Sivaprakash would ask me to watch videos of Ali to learn the tricks. But I was disappointed that neither of us could meet him at close quarters,” said Madhivanan.
Fast forward to 1990. A decade later, Madhivanan had become the first international boxer from the state, finished fourth at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games, secured a job with the ICF, his brother Elumalai was the reigning national champion and he was part of the Indian team for the 1990 Asian Games in China.
As luck would have it, Ali was back in the city again. This time the duo was renowned names in the boxing arena and were determined to meet their role model.
Recollecting their most memorable day, Elumalai, who is employed with Southern Railway, said: “We went to the hotel where Ali was staying. We wrote a letter stating our eagerness to converse with him. And in a matter of minutes, the man headed down stairs and I was thrilled by the very sight of him.
“He grabbed us and greeted us with a big smile. It was surreal. He presented us with a ‘Muhammad Ali’ gift card with his autograph. I still cherish it,” said the 51-year-old.
Madhivanan continued: “The moment he put on the gloves it was show time. He did a show fight with us in the hotel and it was amazing. He asked us to give him a punch and vice versa. His hand speed was unbelievable. I could sense his ferocious nature in every breath of his.
“Later on, he showed us a glimpse of the gymnastic skills he possessed. I couldn’t believe that a guy like him could be so humble and friendly. The 45 minutes we spent that day with the legend was invaluable,” said the 56-year-old, who is a coach in YMIA.
The brothers signed off expressing their condolences on the passing away of the man who had inspired them to success inside the ring.
