Muhammad Ali Center Mourns Saddening Demise of Paralympian and Disability Soccer Advocate Dr. Eli Wolff

A few days ago, the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, the birthplace of the greatest-ever boxer, released a statement about the sorrowful passing of renowned Paralympian and disability sports advocate Dr. Eli Wolff on April 4. Ali and his wife, Lonnie, founded the center in 2005. It is dedicated to the cultural and educational values the legendary boxer and his wife stood for.

Dr. Eli A. Wolff was a Brown University graduate and received a Master’s in Olympic Sports from Cologne’s German Sports University. He participated in the 1996 and 2004 Paralympic Games. In addition, he was a part of the U.S. Paralympic soccer team. Wolff played as a member of the Men’s CP (Cerebral Palsy) team for nearly ten years. During the years, he represented the national team at the World Cup for CP soccer besides the three ParaPan American Games.

Muhammad Ali Center pained by an irreversible loss

The University of Connecticut’s Sports Program instructor laid the foundations of several landmark projects. It included the Power of Sports Lab, Disability in Sports International, Athletes for Human Rights, and Olympism Project, among many others.

Read More: “You Can’t See”- Jackie Chan Once Snubbed Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson to Give Bruce Lee the Ultimate Punching Crown

So the Muhammad Ali Center’s statement read as follows :

He founded the ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) Award in 2000. It was meant for the best male and female athletes with a disability. Wolff then went full force in support of golfer Casey Martin. The latter had filed a case against PGA in the U. S Supreme Court in 2001. Wolff also worked tirelessly so that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities included provisions concerning sports.

A grand and true champion for all 

Dr. Eli A Wolff always believed that sports curriculums at schools should treat students with disabilities with honor. It should lead to a culture of inclusivity. Thus, it led him to make contributions to the US Office of Civil Rights’ Dear Colleague Letter dated January 25, 2013. His grit and determination forced Major League Baseball to revise the ‘Disable List.’ It was subsequently changed to ‘injured reserve list.’

Married to Cheri Blauwet, the father of two young children, in every sense, exhibited the actual values of the Olympics. He was undoubtedly a pioneer who established a seamless connection between human rights and sports. The man who introduced the ‘International Day of Sport for Development and Peace’ to the world would be painfully missed by many.

Watch This Story: Muhammad Ali by Will Smith, Rocky Marciano by Sylvester Stallone, and Other Great Biopics on Boxing Legends

In this solemn moment, share your views and thoughts in the comments below.