matches. He competed with foreign wrestlers who were active in India during the early 1950s. In Jalandhar and Bombay, Bholu Pahalwan dominated some of the finest men in wrestling Including Emil Koroshenko, George Pencheff, Goldstein, George Zbisko, Zybisko-2 and Harbans Singh. Bholu had two main akharas, or wrestling dojos, within the country. The Bilal Gunj Akhara was located in Lahore. In 1948, Bholu formed another akhara known as Dar-ul-Sehat at Pakistan Chowk in Karachi. The Dar-ul-Sehat, also known as Bholu-ka-Akhara, trained in Pakistani-style wrestling under the supervision of professional wrestlers. It also provided weight training and bodybuilding facilities to the members. Bholu gave special attention to this institution. He personally trained the members that included 60 to 70 wrestlers. 1960s Awards and recognition Bholu received the 1962 Pride of Performance Award by the Government of Pakistan. He was granted a 20-kanal land by the President Ayub Khan in honour of services rendered to the sport of wrestling in Pakistan. Bholu performed hajj in 1963. In 1964, the Pakistan Wrestling Association declared him Rustam-e-Zaman, The Pakistani World Champion. They imposed a condition on him that Bholu should wrestle abroad and must win a world title in order to sustain his Pakistani World Title of Rustam-e-Zaman. Since most wrestlers were reluctant to fight him. In 1967, Bholu offered a sum of 5000 British pounds through promoter Orig Williams of the United Kingdom to anyone who could beat him. In May 1967, Bholu Pahalwan competed in a world championship event sponsored by Eastern Promotions Limited in UK and defeated the Anglo-French heavyweight champion, Henry Perry, for the World Heavyweight Title in Empire Pool, Wembley Stadium, London, England. After winning the world championship abroad, his status as Rustam-e-Zaman, the Pakistani World Champion, was officially confirmed in his own country in September 1967 by the Pakistan Wrestling Association. The ceremony was held in Karachi and was presided over by the home minister, Kazi Fazlullah. See also Bholu Brothers References 1922 births 1985 deaths 20th-century professional wrestlers Pakistani professional wrestlers Pakistani people of Kashmiri descent Punjabi people Recipients of the Pride of Performance Sportspeople from Amritsar Sportspeople from Lahore