Muhammad Ali looked in high spirits as he posted a photo of himself on Twitter and Instagram. The image came after the boxing star was rumoured to be deteriorating in health, having suffered from Parkinson's disease for the past 30 years. Muhammad, 72, seemed to defy any speculation as he beamed out at the camera and held his fists in a boxing stance. Proudly donning a red polo T-shirt of his home team Louisville Cardinals, the former athlete captioned the snap, "#Louisville Game Day! Go Cards!"
Muhammad Ali has suffered from Parkinson's for 30 years
Muhammad, who earned the nicknames The Greatest and The Louisville Lip among others, watched as his side defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 44-40. The three-time world heavyweight champion gained almost 20,000 "likes" for his photo on Instagram – an account which he set up less than a month ago. He is already an active user of Twitter and Facebook, drawing in over eight million fans on Mark Zuckerberg's social media site.
Muhammad Ali's daughters Maryum and Hana attended the I Am Ali screening in London in November
Fresh fears were sparked over Muhammad's health after his brother revealed in October that the star could barely speak. Attending a screening in Hollywood of documentary I Am Ali, which tells of the legend's life story through interviews and anecdotes, his younger brother Rahman said: "I have not been able to talk to my brother about this because he is sick. "He doesn't speak too well. But he is proud that we are here for him. He has given this film his blessing." His daughter Maryum at the time added: "He is going to love it. I know he is. He is going to cry, he is going to laugh. He will be very proud."
Muhammad Ali is also known as The Greatest and The Louisville Lip
However Dr Abraham Lieberman, who championed the establishment of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, seemed to dispel any major health concerns. "I don't know that he is more or less at risk than anyone else but anything can happen," the specialist told BBC Radio 5. "I don't see anything immediately that leads me to think that he is going to die in six months or a year. "People do not die of Parkinson's. They develop trouble swallowing, they develop pneumonia, fall and bang their heads. "His family take extraordinary care of him. He is in good spirits. He has some trouble walking but, overall, for someone who has had Parkinson's for 30 years he is doing okay."
I Am Ali is out on DVD now.
