Golfer Severiano Ballesteros publicly offered thanks for his recovery from a brain tumour in an interview with Sports paper Diario Marca on Tuesday.

The 52-year-old, who won the British Open on four occasions and was two times winner of the US Masters, was diagnosed with cancer in October last year.

Ballesteros underwent four operations before being discharged from hospital on December 9. Although he continues to receive treatment, the popular golfer is well on the way to recovery, despite losing 15 kilograms in weight.

"I now weigh the same as I did when I was 22-years-old," said Ballesteros in the interview.

"What I would like to do is try and help the Cancer Investigation Foundation at the La Paz Hospital in Madrid (where he was treated). Sickness doesn't distinguish between races, ideology or nationalities and it is the real enemy of all of us," he said.

As a symbol of his popularity, Ballesteros has so far received over 300,000 messages from all over the world, he admits that they helped him in his struggle for life.

"I feel very loved by everyone, I feel very grateful for what everyone has done for me," he commented.

"All of these years I have had to concentrate on myself, I now get the feeling of how fortunate I have been and of all of the great moments I have had in my life," he said.

However, Ballesteros admitted he will need time before playing golf in the near future.

"I have not lost my touch, but it feels strange to pick up a club for the first time in five months. At the moment, I am trying to win my sixth major," he joked.

(Xinhua News Agency April 1, 2009)