The Great GAMA Biography: The greatest champion is Ghulam Muhammad, also referred to as The Great GAMA or GAMA Pehalwan. He was born in Amritsar, pre-independence India, in 1878. The Great GAMA, who stood only 5 feet 7 inches tall, had an unchallenged career spanning 5 decades. At the age of ten, he participated in the Strongman Competition in Jodhpur in 1888, marking his sporting debut! To everyone’s surprise, GAMA placed among the top 15 of the 400 professional wrestlers. Numerous names were given to him, including Tiger, Rustam-e-Hind, The Undefeated, and Gama Pehalwan.
The Great GAMA Biography
Early life
In a daring move for the new kid on the block, he took on the 19-year-old Indian wrestling champion Raheem Bakhsh Sultaniwala in a challenge. Raheem was a wrestler with professional training, standing seven feet tall. While everyone was betting on Raheem, the Great GAMA surprised everyone by forcing a draw in the match.
He went west and issued an open challenge in London after vanquishing every other notable wrestler in India. It was agreed upon that he would return home and pay the reward money if he lost. However, GAMA was fearless; no one dared to accept the challenge because of his notoriety, which preceded him. He immediately put out a challenge to the heavyweight champion of the world, but Stanislaus Zybyszko did not show up.
Throughout the majority of the fight, the current champion defended himself. A rematch was scheduled after this match, which likewise ended in a tie. This time, Stanislaus failed to show up, so GAMA Pehalwan was crowned the winner.
Now that he had won another crown, he went back home to take on Rustam-e-Hind once more. The akhada was full of people as the eagerly anticipated match was scheduled. GAMA Pehalwan triumphantly emerged, making history. He also squared up against Stanislaus once again, but this time GAMA won in a mere forty-two seconds.
Gama and Bruce Lee’s connection
Unbeknownst to us, Bruce Lee’s training was influenced by the GAMA regimen, despite his unmatched popularity. Bruce Lee took up “The Cat Stretch,” a yoga-based push-up, from the legendary GAMA. Dedication and hard work were the secrets to Pehalwan’s success.
The Great Gama Diet and Training
He trained for three thousand push-ups and five thousand squats a day. He had quite the hunger after all this exercise; he consumed six desi chicken pieces, ten liters of milk, half a liter of lassi, six pounds of butter, three buckets of fruit chaat with fruit juices, and an almond-based special tonic that increased his power.
The Great GAMA Biography: Achievements of The Great Gama
- On October 15, 1910, he was bestowed with the Indian version of the World Heavyweight Championship.
- At the John Bull World Championships, I got into a heated fight with World Champion Stanislaus Zbyszko. On September 17, 1910, he was awarded the John Bull Belt and £250 prize money following Zbyszko’s nonattendance.
- In 1927, he emerged victorious from his final match against Zbyszko in the Indian edition of the World Wrestling Championship. After the competition, Gama was given the nickname “Tiger.”
- defeated several well-known wrestlers throughout the world, including Johann Lemm, Maurice Deriaz, “Doc” Benjamin Roller, and Raheem Bakhsh Sultani Wala, who proved to be his most formidable opponent in the end.
- given a silver mace by the Prince of Wales in 1922 while on a tour to India
- He was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in the class of 2015, as well as the George Tragos / Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in the class of 2007.
Interesting Facts about the Great Gama
- When Gama Pahalwan was six years old, his father passed away. Nun Pahalwan, a wrestler, raised him.
- While visiting Baroda for a wrestling tournament, the pahalwan once lifted a stone weighing 100 kg. The Baroda Museum still has the stone.
The Great GAMA Biography: Gama Pehalwan’s later years
Throughout his nearly 50-year career, GAMA remains the only wrestler in history to have never lost against a rival. Such wrestlers are numerous in our nation’s history, but they are eventually forgotten. K D Jadhav is one such name; he has a motivational life story of his own.
The government provided him with land, and a monthly pension, and paid for his medical bills until his passing. Following a period of illness, he passed away on May 23, 1960, in Lahore, Pakistan.
The Great Gama’s granddaughter was Kulsoom Nawaz, the first lady of Pakistan and the spouse of Nawaz Sharif, who continued to serve as prime minister of Pakistan.
FAQs
| Name | Gama Singh (The Great Gama) |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Ghulam Muhammad Baksh Butt |
| Nickname | The Great Gama |
| Birth Date | May 22, 1878 |
| Birthplace | Amritsar, Punjab, British India |
| Height | Approximately 6 feet (1.83 meters) |
| Weight | Around 260 pounds (118 kilograms) |
| Wrestling Style | Pehlwani/Kushti |
| Achievements | – Undefeated in his entire career |
| – Held the Rustam-e-Hind title for | |
| 50 years without a defeat | |
| – Defeated numerous opponents from | |
| various countries | |
| Notable Wins | – Raheem Bakhsh Sultani (Ghulam |
| Abbas), the reigning champion | |
| – A match against Stanislaus | |
| Zbyszko, former world champion | |
| Legacy | Regarded as one of the greatest |
| wrestlers in the history of Kushti | |
| and an Indian sporting legend | |
| Known for his extraordinary | |
| strength and impeccable technique | |
| His legacy continues to inspire | |
| generations of wrestlers | |
| Passed Away | May 23, 1960 |
Who was Gama Singh, and why was he called “The Great Gama”?
The Great Gama, or Gama Singh, was a well-known wrestler from Punjab, India. Because of his remarkable abilities and perfect career record in wrestling, he was dubbed “The Great Gama.”
What style of wrestling did Gama Singh practice?
Gama Singh was a practitioner of Pehlwani, popularly called Kushti, a traditional Indian wrestling style that prioritizes discipline, strength, and technique.
Did Gama Singh ever face a formidable opponent?
In a spectacular match, Gama Singh met and defeated former world champion wrestler Stanislaus Zbyszko.
How is Gama Singh’s legacy remembered?
As one of the best wrestlers in Kushti history, Gama Singh is revered as an Indian sports legend. The next generation of wrestlers is still motivated by his incredible strength and technique.
What impact did Gama Singh have on the wrestling community in India?
The Indian wrestling community was profoundly impacted by Gama Singh’s legacy. Many aspiring wrestlers were inspired to follow in his footsteps by him as a symbol of power, tenacity, and pride in the country.
