only pinning the shoulders down is enough. Bouts are overseen by a referee inside the ring and a panel of two judges watching from the outside. Titles Official titles awarded to kushti champions are as follows. Note that the title Rustam is actually the name of an Iranian hero from the Shahnameh epic. "Rustam-e-Hind": Champion of India. Dara Singh from Punjab, Sadika Gilgoo (Siddique Pehlwan), Krishan Kumar from Haryana, Muhammad Buta Pehlwan, Imam Baksh Pehlwan, Hamida Pehlwan, Vishnupant Nagrale, Dadu Chougule and Harishchandra Birajdar (Lion of India) from Maharashtra, Mangla Rai from Uttar Pradesh and Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) held the Rustam-e-Hind title in the past. Vishnupant Nagrale was the first wrestler ever to hold this title. Rustum-e-Pakistan: Also spelled as Rustum-i-Pakistan. Pakistan Champion. Rustum-e-Punjab: Champion of Punjab, Pakistan. "Maharashtra Kesari": Lion of Maharashtra. Maharashtra Kesari is an Indian-style wrestling championship. Narsinh Yadav (three-time winner) "Rustam-e-Panjab" : (also spelled Rustam-i-Panjab) Champion of Panjab, India. Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) Pehlwan Salwinder Singh Shinda was a six time Rustam-e-Panjab,. "Rustam-e-Zamana": World Champion. The Great Gama became known as Rustam-e-Zamana when he defeated Stanislaus Zbyszko in 1910. "Bharat-Kesari": Best heavyweight wrestler in Hindi. Recent winners include Chandra Prakash Mishra (Gama Pahalwan), Krishan Kumar(1986), Rajeev Tomar (Railways), Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) and Palwinder Singh Cheema (Punjab police). "Hind Kesari": Winner of 1969 Hind Kesari Harishchandra Birajdar (Maharashtra) (Lion of India); Winner of 2013 Hind Kesari, Amol Barate (Maharashtra); Winner of 2015 Hind Kesari, Sunil Salunkhe (Maharashtra) See also Akhara Boli Khela Gatka Gatta Gusthi Inbuan Kabbadi List of Pehlwani wrestlers Malakhra Malla-yuddha Mongolian wrestling Mukna Pahlevani and zoorkhaneh rituals Vajra-mushti Wrestling in India Wrestling in Pakistan Pehlivan Hyderabadi Pahalwan History of physical training and fitness References External links The Wrestler’s Body: Identity and Ideology in North India Pakistan's pehlwans wrestle to survive Pakistan Image Building: History of Kushti Dara Singh In The Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame Great Gama Upper Crust: Badam-Doodh & Kolhapuri Kusti! The Art of Pehlwani Fighting Scene in Indian Cinemas Wrestling in India Wrestling in Pakistan Folk wrestling styles Traditional sports of India Traditional sports of Pakistan Sports originating in India Sports originating in South Asia Traditional sports of Bangladesh Sindhi games