Gama Pehlwan: His macho or muscular features are not what made him a hero, but it was his character that did

‘The Great Gama’ for the Western world or Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt, popularly known as Gama Pehlwan in India, was a yesteryear star wrestler. He was born in Amritsar in 1878 and died in 1960. He was famous as he was not only respected or acknowledged in India during that era but also internationally for his work off the wrestling field.

Many reap the benefits of men and their masculine attributes but condemn masculinity without due credit for the good that men have accomplished. For every male criminal, there are thousands of male heroes.

We explore the renowned wrestler’s illustrious career and the accomplishments he made both on and off the mat.

Hindus in Lahore during the 1947 partition were saved from being killed

Gama gained respect outside of the ring as well since he relocated to Lahore’s Mohni Road in early 1947, just before India’s independence and subsequent division, and saved the lives of Hindu residents there.

Gama, who had a strong rapport with the Mohni Road neighborhood’s Hindu majority, made a life-or-death commitment to protect the community during the escalating disturbances. He followed through on his vow by preventing the rioters from injuring the colony’s residents.

Then, as disturbances grew worse, he led them all to safety at the border while paying for their supplies for a week.

Bruce Lee and the Prince of Wales were Gama Pehlwan’s admirers

Even the well-known actor and martial artist Bruce Lee, according to Far Out magazine, was a major fan of the wrestler and even found inspiration in his extraordinary work ethic. In addition to being influenced by Gama’s story, Lee also incorporated parts of Gama’s demanding training program into his own.

Lee decided to increase his strength by performing numerous repetitions of crucial exercises like the squat and the cat stretch, just like Gama did while reading about the legendary wrestler.

The Prince of Wales gave Gama Pehlwan a silver mace in honor of the illustrious wrestler during his visit to India.

Nawaz Sharif, a former Pakistani prime minister, married Gama’s granddaughter

Kulsoom Nawaz, the daughter of Hafiz Butt and the great-granddaughter of Gama, served as Pakistan’s first lady three times after marrying the nation’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 1971.

Gama lifted a stone that weighed 1200 kg

Before a competition in the city in 1902, Gama, who was in his 20s and weighed about 100 kg, also pulled off the incredible feat of lifting a 1200 kg boulder at the Baroda Museum in Sayajibaug.

He used a 100 kg doughnut-shaped exercise disc called Hasli, which is now on display at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) Museum in Patiala, India. He used it for pushups and squats.

Became famous in his teens after competing against Indian champion Sultaniwala

Gama, who was born Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt, rose to fame quickly by holding Indian champion Raheem Baksh Sultaniwala to a draw at Rustam-e-Hind. Despite the fact that the deck was stacked against him, Gama engaged in a competitive match with the more seasoned wrestler. After all, a wrestler who is only 5’7″ tall was not considered a contender against Sultaniwala, who is seven feet tall. Sultaniwala, who was already nearing the end of his professional career, had to figure out how to deal with an agile Gama in order to draw the bout. Gama was praised for his toughness in the match and was immediately seen as Sultaniwala’s Rustam-e-Hind successor.

In 1910, Gama Pehlwan became the world champion

Gama’s fame quickly called for invitations to international events as well. He was known to remain unbeaten during his 52-year wrestling career, with competitors scarcely lasting more than a minute in front of him. And on London’s grandest stages, the 110-pound wrestler triumphed.

He beat legends like world champion Stanislaus Zbyszko, Frank Gotch, and Benjamin Roller on the road to winning the World Championship (Rustam-e-Zamana) title in 1910, with none of the fights lasting longer than a few minutes.
He also defeated well-known athletes during his abroad tour, including Jesse Peterson, Johann Lemm, and Maurice Deriaz of Switzerland (World Champion).

Before his retirement in 1952, he went his entire career unbeaten

Gama retired at the age of 74 after a career that lasted more than five years and saw him go undefeated. With the exception of a few formidable opponents, he prevailed in most of his fights despite repeated challenges from the same opponents.

Gama’s first encounter with Sultaniwala resulted in a two-hour-long struggle between the two wrestlers, making Sultaniwala one of the few opponents the World Champion struggled to beat for an extended period of time. Gama later acknowledged that Sultaniwala was the toughest opponent he had ever faced.

Gama finally defeated his opponent after a protracted struggle during a competition in Allahabad after his return from England, taking home the Rustam-e-Hind championship.

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