Leander Paes touching tribute to Muhammad Ali

Mumbai: Indian tennis ace Leander Paes has paid touching tribute to legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, who passed away at the age of 74 after losing his long-standing battle against Parkinson's disease.

Describing Muhammad Ali as `one of his biggest heroes`, the 42-year-old insisted that the former was his idol not because of the medals and trophies he won but for the humanity he stood for.

"I grew up as a kid with the few idols and Muhammad Ali is one of my idols. When I was five year old, I dressed in a fancy dress competition as Muhammad Ali. I think one of the greatest human being of all time was Muhammad Ali. I can sit and rattle of numerous records of Muhammad Ali," Paes said days after winning yet another mixed doubles Grand Slam at French Open with Swiss partner Martina Hingis.

Former three-time world heavyweight champion Ali, who was admitted to a hospital in Phoenix, the United States with a respiratory problem, breathed his last surrounded by his family and friends.

Ali, who is also known for his civil rights activism, had been hospitalised multiple times in the recent years, including spending time in hospital in 2014 after suffering a mild pneumonia before being admitted again for a urinary tract infection last year.

The iconic figure, who also won an Olympic gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the 1980s.