The Olympic Games has often blessed the world with unforgettable sporting heroes such as Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, Ian Thope and Mohammad Ali among others. As the quadrennial world's biggest sporting fiesta the London 2012 Olympic Games draws nearer, Eddy Archibong writes that Ali remains one of the world's greatest sporting legends and Olympian for today's athletes to draw inspirations from.

In 1960 in Italy, at the tender age of 18, Muhammad Ali won an Olympic gold medal. Twenty –three years later, he was inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame. At Atlanta '96 it was a moving moment when an estimated 3.5 billion people watched on Tv when the boxing legend ignited the Olympic flame. Ali followed the Olympic moment when he carried the games torch for the 2004 Athens Olympics as part of its California leg.

Born Cassius Clay, Mohammad Ali truly embodies the Olympic ideals of passion, determination and triumph of the human spirit.

When the young Ali returned from Italy, he wore the Olympic gold medal around his neck and showed it to anyone who was interested. Then he was refused service in a restaurant in the American South.

His first wife told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he said: “I was young, black Cassius Marcellus Clay, who had won a gold medal for his country. I sat down at the counter of a dinner to order a burger and Soda pop. The waitress looked at me and said ‘Sorry, we don't serve coloureds'. I was furious. I went all the way to Italy to represent my country, won a gold medal and now, I come back to America and can't even get served at a five –and –dime store. I went to a bridge, tore the medal off my neck and threw it into the river. That gold medal didn't mean a thing to me. If my black brothers and sisters were treated wrong in a country, I was supposed to represent.”

As a youngster, Ali dedicated himself to boxing with favour unmatched by other young boxers. He had 108 amateur bouts and was the holder of six Kentucky Golden Gloves championships, two National Golden Gloves championships and two national AAU titles before he was 18myears old. Ali ended his carrier with 56 wins (37 by knockout) and five defeats.

In 1988, the world learned that Ali suffered from Parkinson's disease. He was dignified in his response: “I'm in no pain. If I were in perfect health-if I had won my last two fights –if I had no problem, people would be afraid of me. Now, they feel sorry for me. They thought I was Superman. Now they can say He's human, like us. He has problems.

As the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations draws closer, paundits are already casting dice as to the likely winners of the continental soccer showpiece. For most bookmakers, the odds seem to be in favour of the Black Stars of Ghana . Eddy Archibong examines the chances of the team and the hurddles to cross.

The Black Stars as the Ghanaian senior national team is called will play the Zebras of Botswana, the Eagles of Mali and the Sly Nationale of Guinea in Group D of the 2012 African Cup of Nations, with their first match against Botswana in Franceville in Gabon on 24 January.

Arguable, the present crop of players in the Black Stars proudly parades an array of talent with the likes of Chelsea's Michael Essien, AC Milan's Kelvin Prince Boateng, yet to be capped Arsenal prodigy, Emmanuel Frimpong, 2010 UEFA Champions League winner, Sulley Muntari, the dependable Asamoah Gyan, the Abedi-Pele brothers and a host of others. Without doubt, the team is Africa's most consistent side and their football has been on the ascendancy in the last few years.

Since breaking their age long jinx of a senior FIFA World Cup appearance at Germany 2006, the stars have continued to shine brighter for the Black Stars of Ghana as the nation's football seem to have steadily been on the progressive route like an underailed locomotive engine.

Ghana has built a team with synergy and a superb symmetry of a young generation of players with a blend of experience. At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Ghana was the only African team to get to the second round before bowing to Brazil. Two years later, Ghana hosted the 2008 African Nations Cup and finished second runners up beating the star-studded Didier Drogba led Ivoirian side to take home the bronze.

Ghana's football stability and growth came to the fore at the 2009 FIFA World Youth Soccer Championship held in Egypt; when the Black Satellites despite playing with a man down against Brazil held on to emerge Africa's first side to win the Under 20 Championship. Then at the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola, a seemingly under strength Ghanaian team lost marginally to Egypt. But the team soon emerge months later to become the toast and beautiful bride of African football at the South African 2010 World Cup as the Black stars surprised all by reaching the quarter-finals before losing dubiously to the devilish hand of Uruguay's Luiz Suarez's unsportsmanlike goalkeeping theatrics. Just recently, the Black Meteors (Under 23) won the football gold medal at the All African Games football event in Maputo- Mozambique.

Having won the Nations Cup on four previous occasions, the Black Stars certainly look good as a strong contender for the 2012 trophy they last won 30 years ago. This is also the belief of former Black Star player, Tony Baffoe.

"It's important for us to attack the first game well, we're a balanced group and we are the favourites - in the last five to six Nations Cups Ghana has always been amongst the favourites," Baffoe said.

"There are no minor teams any more. That's not just words – it's very important to take your opponents seriously, because there are always surprises at a tournament." But he is confident that Ghana can go on and challenge for the title.

He picked out Senegal and Niger as teams to watch out for - and warned that the two host nations, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, will have a strong chance because of home advantage.

The Nations Cup kicks off on 21 January in Bata, when Equatorial Guinea play Libya.The final is in Libreville on 12 February.