Bholu Brothers

The Bholu Brothers were Pakistani wrestlers of Kashmiri origin. They belonged to the Gama wrestling family that lasted for centuries before independence of Pakistan. This group included resident Pakistani champions such as Bholu, Azam, Aslam, Akram and Goga. These were the sons of Imam Bakhsh Pahalwan (Rustam-e-Hind). And nephews of Gama, the Greatest wrestler that India has ever produced. Wrestling was a way of life for them. Some of the main wrestling gyms were owned and operated by the Bholu Pahalwan family (formerly known as Gama Wrestling Family). Bholu and Aslam were considered equivalent to the world champions of the West.

The Great Bholu's Gym known as Dar-ul-Sehat was located in a building in the City of Karachi. It was a muddy wrestling arena within a vast courtyard that was surrounded by wooden benches. Pakistan’s first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan allotted this building to this wrestling family to be used for training. It was once an akhara or traditional training hall where deshi kushti was practiced. The wrestling matches were called dangal, and were fought on a mud pit. The Government of Pakistan, till Ayub Khan’s regime, regularly provided a special grant to Bholu Pahalwan family as recognition for their services to the sport. Earlier, every city, town and village of the country had its own akhara. The continuous flow of talent kept the game alive. And the Bholu's legacy rose to the highest ranks in the world of wrestling .

In earlier days when the sport of wrestling prevailed in Pakistan, the passion for wrestling was such that the wrestling fans jam-packed the stadiums in almost every of Pakistan. When the people used to gather on the streets just to catch a glimpse of a wrestler. The women and children crowded the rooftops of their dwellings just to watch the wrestlers go passing by on streets in their horse driven carriages. Those were the days when the Pakistani Bholu Brothers were very popular in the East. They were renowned wrestlers with outstanding skills. The Bholu's never needed an introduction in Asian community. People had a high regard for them and honored them as sporting heroes. They were like super humans during the days of the Gama in Pakistan. They were believed to be the most superior on the planet.

The Pakistani Bholu Brothers were trained by Gama' the world champion'. There was a time, when they were outstanding wrestlers. At one point in history they were one of the strongest force in wrestling. They remained major players of the game in the region after independence. Soon Afterwards, Bholu Pahalwan acquired the title of Rustam-e-Pakistan in 1949. His younger Brother Aslam alias Acha successfully conquered the Rustam-e-Punjab title in 1951. Azam was branded as Rustam-e-Hind in 1953. Akram gained fame for his victories in the dark continent. Goga is better known as the resident Champion. All of them were amazing. They were from among the people who came to Pakistan from India after independence. And today when the Bholu Brothers have long since departed from this world, we cannot talk about the Pakistani wrestling without recalling these Wrestling Greats, who spent their lives for wrestling. They have become a symbol of the Pakistani wrestling.

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Wikipedia