Gama Pehelwan is honored on May 22 by Google Doodle. Also known as The Great Gama. He was one of the best wrestlers of all time. In his career spanning over five decades, Gama remained undefeated. Here, we have some information about Gama’s life, diet, wrestling career, his cause of death, how did he lift 1200 kg stone, and much more.
Who was Gama Pehelwan? Wiki Bio
Born on May 22, 1878, the real name of Gama Pehlwan was Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt. He took birth in Jabbowal, Amritsar, Punjab of undivided India or British India into a Kashmiri Muslim family. His childhood was full of difficulties as Gama’s father, and grandfather died when he was very young.
After their deaths, he started living with his uncle, who was a wrestler. His father was Muhammad Aziz Baksh, but there is no information about her mother’s details like name, etc.
Gulam Mohammed started wrestling at the age of ten in 1888. It was a strongman competition comprised of many grueling exercises held in Jodhpur. More than 500 wrestlers participated in it, and Gama turned out to be in the top 15. The Maharaja of Jodhpur named him the winner because of his young age. Later on, the Maharaja of Datia took him into training.
Gulam Gama used to squat with a 95 kg doughnut-shaped disc which is displayed at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) Museum at Patiala. The Great Gama came into the limelight in 1895 when he was 17. At that age, he challenged then Indian Wrestling Champion Raheem Bakhsh Sultani Wala from Pakistan. Their wrestling bout ended in a draw. It turned out to be a turning point in Gama’s career.
He won a version of the World Heavyweight Championship on October 15, 1910. By 1910, he had defeated every Indian wrestler except Raheem Bakhsh. Later on, he shifted his attention to the world stage.
World-renowned martial artist Bruce Lee was one of his avid followers. Gama Pahalwan’s granddaughter, Kalsoom Nawaz, is the wife of Nawaz Sharif. Another granddaughter, Saira Bano, is the wife of Jhara Pahalwan. (Also Check: Who is Candace Bushnell dating?
Gama Pehalwan Death Reason: How did Great Gama die?
After the partition of India, the wrestler Gama shifted to Lahore, Pakistan. After that, he faced difficulties in making a living/money. He was not taken care of and had a brother named Iman Baksh. Gama was married twice. The name of his wife was Wazeer Begum. With her, Gulam Mohammad had nine children – five sons and four daughters. All of them died at a young age. The height and weight of Gama Pehelwan were 5 feet 7 inches and 110 kg, respectively. His body measurements were 46″ chest, 34″ waist, and 22″ biceps.
After he quit wrestling, Gama suffered asthma and heart diseases. In the last moments of his life, Gama faced many financial constraints. His financial condition worsened so much that he had to sell his medals. On May 23, 1960, Gama’s death happened at the age of 82.
In his last days, Gama struggled to pay for his treatment. An industrialist and wrestling fan, GD Birla donated INR 2000 and a monthly pension of INR 300. The government of Pakistan also supported his medical expense until his death.
Gama Pehlwan Diet
Ghulam Mohammad used to drink 10 liters of milk, 0.5 liters of ghee, 0.5 liters of butter, almond sherbet, and 100 Rotis, and six desi chicken per day. In his practice session, he used to wrestle with 40 wrestlers every day. He used to do 5000 squats and 3000 push-ups. With 10 hours of routine exercise and practice sessions, he had built a strong physique.
Did Gama Pehalwan lift 1200 kg stone?
Yes, Gama Pehalwan indeed lifted a 1200 kg stone in 1902. He performed the unbelievable feat in Nazabaug Palace near Mandvi and walked a considerable distance lifting it. The said stone is now put on a display at Baroda Museum.