It was a phone call Kerala’s new Sports Minister, E P Jayarajan should have avoided at any cost; unfortunately he didn’t.
The result: World’s boxing legend, Muhammad Ali, who died at an Arizona hospital, on Friday night, became an eminent sports star from Kerala. Not only that, Ali even won a gold medal for the state in his heydays and thus elevated the state’s fame internationally.
All this happened on Saturday when a local television channel, while reporting the demise of the boxing legend during its news programme, rang up the sports minister Jayarajan hoping that he would share his memories on the boxing legend.
The conversation progressed on the following lines.
The news anchor first briefs the life and achievements of Ali and then connects Jayarajan to the conversation:
News anchor: The state’s sports minister, E P Jayarajan is now with us on the telephone line. Mr Jayarajan, Muhammad Ali, the legend, has left us. How would you share your memory about that legend?
E P Jayarajan: I just came to know that Muhammad Ali died at America. Ali was an eminent personality in Kerala’s sports world. Ali elevated the name of Kerala internationally by winning a gold medal for us. I hereby share the sadness Kerala’s sports world in Ali’s demise.
Anchor: Thank you Mr Jayarajan.(And skillfully continues with the report….Muhammad Ali has left us….)
Thankfully the news anchor did not keep Jayarajan on the phone line for too long, else he would have gone on to explain Ali’s initial struggle to get selection to the state’s boxing team.
