Gama Pehlwan facts, Family, Children, Height, Weight, Wife, Death
Gama Pehlwan – On the 144th anniversary of his birth, Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt was the legendary wrestler in India, also known as Gama Pehlwan or “The Great Gama” in the West. Yesterday, Google created a doodle to pay tribute to his legacy.
Among Indian wrestlers, Gama Pehlwan, born in Amritsar in 1878 and died in 1960, was the most well-known name since he was a global star and a role model for the common people.
As a tribute to the legendary wrestler, we look back at his many accomplishments on and off the mat.
Gama, real name Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt, rose to fame after fighting and drawing with India’s reigning champion, Rustam-e-Hind Raheem Baksh Sultaniwala.
Despite the obvious disadvantages, Gama put up a good fight against the seasoned wrestler. However, given that Sultaniwala stands at seven feet tall, it’s safe to assume that the five-foot-seven-inch wrestler won’t stand a chance.
After a ferocious struggle, Sultaniwala and Gama settled for a draw, but Sultaniwala was nearing the end of his career and had to discover ways to deal with a much more agile opponent.
Gama’s resiliency in the fight made him a popular pick to succeed Sultaniwala as Rustam-e-Hind. After 52 years as a professional wrestler, Gama retired with a perfect record and a reputation that earned him invites to tournaments worldwide.
Gama Pehlwan Personal Details
| Real Name | Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt |
| Nick Name | Rustam-e-Hind, The Great Gama |
| Ring name | Gama Pahalwan |
| Profession | Wrestling |
| Date of Birth | 22nd May 1878 |
| Birth Place | Jabbowal, Amritsar, Punjab, British India |
| Date of Death | 23rd May 1960 |
| Death Cause | chronic illness of Hearth and asthma |
| Age | 82 Years |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Amritsar, Punjab, India |
| Family | Father – Muhammad Aziz Baksh Mother – Brother – Imam Baksh Pahalwan |
| Religion | Islam |
| Ethnicity | Kashmiri |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife Name | Wazeer Begum |
| Children | 5 Children, 4 Daughter |
His opponents seldom lasted more than a minute against him. Then, finally, the 110-kilogram wrestler triumphed on the biggest platform in London.
In 1910, he fought greats, including world champion Stanislaus Zbyszko, Frank Gotch, and Benjamin Roller, en route to winning the World Championship (Rustam-e-Zamana) title.
All of these fights lasted a few minutes. However, during his abroad tour, he won several events and beat well-known opponents like Switzerland’s Maurice Deriaz, Europe’s Johann Lemm (the European Champion), and America’s Jesse Peterson (World Champion).
Gama was unbeaten throughout his career spanning over five years and ending with his retirement at age 74. Many of his opponents were repeated challengers, but he could win with the same familiar domination he had shown in previous bouts.
In their first match, Sultaniwala pushed Gama to the limit for two hours, making him one of the few opponents the World Champion couldn’t defeat for a while.
Gama later acknowledged that the former Indian champion was the toughest opponent he had ever faced.
After a hard fight at a tournament in Allahabad following Gama’s return from England, he defeated his opponent and claimed the title of Rustam-e-Hind.