Gama Gives Google Some Doodle Buzz

Google decided to go great with its doodle on Sunday. As in The Great Gama.

Don't know him? Most people probably don't. But just know that the later wrestler known Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt was viewed as perhaps the greatest strongman of his day. And yes, he was also an unbeaten champion long before big-time wrestling outcomes were scripted.

The Great Gama actually hailed from British India and was of pehlwani descent. So Google's decision to make him the main event was celebrated worldwide. Sunday would have been his 144th borthday.








According to CNET, "Pehlwan was born Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt on May 22, 1878, in what is now Punjab, India.  Each day he would perform at least 3,000 pushups, 5,000 squats and grappling with 40 other wrestlers -- a training regimen that inspired martial arts great Bruce Lee."






That's not all. As CNET added, "A Muslim by faith, Pehlwan is credited with saving hundreds of Hindus from violence that erupted over the division of land between India and Pakistan during the partition of India in 1947. He is said to have faced down angry mobs in Lahore and paid for the safe passage of hundreds from the colony when the violence escalated."










Written by
Sam Amico spent 15 years covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and NBA.com, along with a few other spots, and currently runs his own basketball website on the side, FortyEightMinutes.com.