To me, Muhammad Ali is alive, he is immortal. He is a thought and he will remain alive forever in my heart and passion for the sport.

Whenever I have pushed myself harder, I had Ali in mind. He is a ray of hope to all those who think they can't do much because of their present circumstances.

He was one of the most stylish fighters inside the ring, from his flash-like punch speed to smooth floating footwork. I imbibed everything from the legend, even his cockiness. I was watching one of his videos where he mentioned his life plan - believe in God, work hard, don't think whether you will go to hell or heaven, just enjoy your life as it's short; and in this short time you will have to sleep, travel, entertain yourself and your family and also work for a living.... That video not only inspired me for the sport but also for life in general.

I used to wonder what would happen to the world of boxing, and to the world in general, the day this legend hung up his gloves for good and left all of us behind. When I got to know that he was no more (on Saturday), all the memories of my life related to him, all the bouts and everything related to him started flashing in front of my eyes.

I always wanted to meet him. That was my biggest dream, and now he is no more. My dream has gone with him but I will surely visit his grave to place the flowers of my love and appreciation.

If I had gotten a chance to meet him, I would have asked how he was always so confident, even when he was at the receiving end? How did he manage to sustain that mental state and toughness?

As told to Pramita Ghosh

(Kamal, boxing trainer at Gold's Gym Alipore, trained Sonakshi Sinha for the film Holiday)