Gama Pehalwan was a Legendary wrestler who passed away at the age of 82 years old. Learn about his death cause, religion and more in this article below!
Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt (May 22, 1878 – May 23, 1960), also known as Rustam-e-Hind or The Great Gama, was a pehlwani wrestler and strongman in British India. He was the world’s unbeaten wrestling champion in the early twentieth century.
In addition, Gama rose to prominence in 1895, when he battled then-Indian Wrestling Champion, middle-aged Raheem Bakhsh Sultani Wala, another ethnic Kashmiri wrestler from Gujranwala, Punjab Province, Colonial India, at the age of 17 years old (now in Pakistan).
Gama Pehalwan Cause Of Death Is A Mystery
Gama Pehalwan, according to sources, died after suffering from a chronic illness. However, the specific cause of his death is still a mystery. After a period of sickness, he died on May 23, 1960 in Lahore, Pakistan.
Some reports claim that, he had a chronic condition in his final days and struggled to pay for his care. He was said to have suffered from asthma and heart trouble, and his condition had gotten worse. He had to sell his medals at the last minute due to financial limitations.
In order to help him, Gama received land and a monthly income from the government, as well as support for his medical expenditures until his death. He eventually passed away in 1960 at the age of 82.
Gama Pehalwan Religion And Family Details
Ghulam Mohammad Baksh was born on May 22, 1878, into a Kashmiri Muslim wrestling family in Jabbowal Village, Amritsar district, Punjab Province, British India (now Jabbowal, Kapurthala District, Punjab, India).
Moreover, he was also initially recognized when he participated a strongman tournament in Jodhpur at the age of 10, which featured several grueling activities such as squats.
In addition, the competition drew over 400 wrestlers, with Gama finishing in the top fifteen and being crowned the champion by the Maharaja of Jodhpur owing to his youth. The Maharaja of Datia then put Gama through his training.
Gama Pehalwan Was A Legendary Wrestler
Lengendary Wrestler, Gama Pehalwan is famed for never losing a wrestling match in his more than 50-year career. He also won the World Heavyweight Championship in 1910 and the World Wrestling Championship in 1927, earning him the nickname “Tiger.” Gamma became the wrestler Rustam-e-Hind in the early twentieth century.
In addition, he is also claimed to have challenged Bruce Lee, an American martial artist. Lee became a fan of Gama after seeing his diet and workout. Gama’s workouts were rapidly adopted into Lee’s own practice. “The cat stretch” and “the squat” (also known as “baithak” and “deep-knee bend”) were two of Lee’s training exercises. The gamma wrestler competed in his final match of his life in 1927 against Swedish wrestler Jess Peterson.