Muhammad Ali’s Kentucky hometown will honour the late boxer by renaming its airport for him.
The Louisville Regional Airport Authority’s board voted Wednesday to change the name to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Ali would have turned 77 Thursday. He died in 2016.
READ MORE: Japanese grand champion Kisenosato retires from sumo
Ali’s widow, Lonnie Ali, said in a news release from the board that she is proud of the name change. She said although Ali was a “global citizen,” he never forgot his hometown.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer cited research showing that Ali’s name recognition is greater than Louisville’s and said he’s organizing a group to work toward celebrating Ali’s Louisville ties more broadly.
READ MORE: Grammy-nominated album shines light on transgender pioneer
The airport board said the decision came after a working group studied renaming the airport for more than a year.
The Associated Press
