Gama Pehalwan's 124th Birthday: Top five little known facts about India's greatest wrestler - In Pics
In this collection of photos, we will take you through little known facts about Gama Pehalwan.
Google Doodle is celebrating the 144th birth anniversary of Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt AKA The Great Gama today. The Indian wrestler remained unbeaten throughout his international career and thus was named 'The Great Gama'. He was considered one of the best wrestlers of all time.
Daily Training Routine
Gama's daily training consisted of grappling with forty of his fellow wrestlers in the akhada (court). He did a minimum of five thousand baithaks (squats) and three thousand dands (Indian word for pushups) in a day and even sometimes more within 30 to 45 minutes each by wearing a doughnut-shaped wrestling apparatus called a Hasli of 1 Quintal (approx. 100 kilos).
Undefeated for 52 years
Bruce Lee connection
Championship Titles
Baksh was awarded a version of the World Heavyweight Championship on 15 October 1910. Gama won the Indian version of the World Heavyweight Championship (1910) and the World Wrestling Championship (1927). After winning the WWC in 1927 he was named 'Tiger' of the tournament. The wrestler also received a silver mace from the Prince of Wales.