THE old city of Lahore has hundreds, if not thousands, 0f reasons for being adored. In days gone by one major reason was the scores of world-class wrestlers it produced. Most wrestlers of the sub-continent were Punjabi, for the city still has scores of `akharas` wrestling pits from days gone by.

In Pakistan we love to believe that because Gama Pehalwan, the maternal great grandfather of the current chief minister, was the greatest, hence his offspring would be equally good. Surely a misconception. But then it is always a matter of the time period. Let us mention a few outstanding `pehalwans` of old Lahore. We had an amazing pehalwan named Kikkar Singh, he belonged to the Sandhu clan and was so named because he `allegedly` uprooted a `kikkar` tree, known botanically was `Vachellia Nilotica`, in the gardens surrounding the city in one massive effort. Thus he was named Pehalwan Kikkar Singh Sandhu. The Sandhu clan were acclaimed cavalry soldiers in the army ofMaharajah Ranjit Singh.

It is by sheer chance that Kikkar Singh was born when the First War of Independence in 1857 started and ended when the First World War of 1914 started. His ancestral village was Ghanienke in Lahore, and his father was a farmer.

His mother belonged to Nurpur on the Burki Road, where a famous wrestling `akhara` still functions. It was there that Kikkar Singh trained under the guidance of the village potter. Such was the fame of his strength that Boota Pehalwan,, the famous Rustam-i-Hind, of the walled city of Lahore invited him to come to the old city and live and train there.

There are two versions about his name. One was that once in Lahore he on the instruction of Boota Pehalwan while walking in the garden outside the walled city, grasped a `kikkar` tree and with one huge heave uprooted it. This is still the gossip that runs in the old city `mohallahs`. But then as he was exceptionally tall, very dark and very strong with a massive chest, people started saying that he looked like a `kikkar` tree. Both stories supplement each other.

As he started defeating the best of wrestlers the rulers ofJodhpur, Indore and Jammu and Kashmir patronised him. It was taken for granted that when he wrestled he did so to win.

Sadly, in 1911 at the relatively old age of 54 in a ceremony of the Delhi Darbar celebrating the coronation of King George V, he lost his fight. Many then doubted the decision. But a sad Kikkar Singh quietly walked all the way to his village refusing to talk at anyone. He died three years later.

There are entire areas named after `pehalwans`. There is the `Shahia Pehalwan de Gali`, there is the `Gali Gol Pehalwan`, then there is `Koocha Pehalwan Imam Din`. These are just three of the `pehalwan` lanes. There are other intriguing romantic names like Gali Billa Kabootar Baz, Sheeda Halwai Wali Gali, Mohallah Samiyan, Shahye Pehalwan de Gali. There are scores of such names, each with a history of its own. Sadly, our extremist communal mindset has set about re-naming them after religious persons, mostly of unknown dubious reputations.

But let us return to our other `pehalwans`. The first was Shahia Pehalwan whose wrestling pit akhara is in the Paniwala Talaab in the walled city. Though unlike KikkarSingh who was exceptionally tall, Shahia Pehalwan was five feet five inches in height, but had a massive body. Many admirers claim his shoulder muscles were as hard as iron.

The `akhara` land was gifted to him by Mian Amiruddin, the grandfather of Mian Salahuddin, better known as Mian Salli.

Just a slight digression.

Mian Amiruddin fought a local election against Kanhaiya Lal Gabba in the walled city.

People would go around the city singing: `Wah bhai wah, Meer Din da `kulcha` tay Gabbay de `chai` ... wah bhai wah`. T he Muslim League procession was invariably led by Shahia Pehalwan and his family and followers. Gabba converted to Islam, only after 1947 to reconvert to Hinduism. It is claimed at Shahia Pehalwan would stand outside Gabba`s house and shout slogans, only to be stopped by Mian Amiruddin.

But the Great Gama was the unrivalled wrestler of the entire sub-continent, let alone the world. He visited England to brush aside all the greats of Britain. This Kashmiri-origin Butt family of wrestlers practised just outside an `akhara` on Taxali Gate. Starting from 1850 this family produced gen-eration after generation of world-class wrestlers. The Bholu brothers were the sons of Imam Bakhsh. This family produced Azam Pehalwan, Aslam Pehalwan, Akram Pehalwan, and a long list of other wellknown wrestlers.

Bholu was the son of Rustami-Hind Imam Bakhsh the brother of the Great Gama, who was born in Amritsar and fought his first major match in Lahore`s Minto Park defeating Pehalwan Mangal Singh and Tarraka Pehalwan. He also beat several wrestlers from Europe like the well-known George Zbisko and Karl Pojelio. But his toughest fight was against Younus Gujranwalia in April 1949, which he himself claimed was his toughest fight.

Then there was the famous walled city wrestler and a Gama family person Aslam Pehalwan, better known as Achcha Pehalwan, a six feet four inches giant whose sense of humour was well-known. He was trained by the great Hameeda Pehalwan. His most famous fight was against Kala Pehalwan, known as `Sher-iPunjab`. His brother Azam Pehalwan, known as Rustam-iHind and `Sher-i-Lahore` was a unique wrestler known to befast and lightening even though he was only 180 pounds in weight and was a Karate expert.

Lastly from the long list is Akram Pehalwan known better as Akki Pehalwan. He was six feet tall and weighed 250 pounds. He was popularly known as the Double Tiger.

This name was given to him in Uganda after he floored President Idi Amin. With his brothers Aslam and Goga they defeated each and every wrestler in Africa. But his most famous bout was against Emile Czaja, better known as King Kong. Akram Pehalwan`s most famous fight in Minto Park, Lahore, was against Bhola Gadi, whom he lifted and threw on the ground.

The list of the achievements of the wrestlers connected to the old walled city of Lahore are so numerous that one column cannot encompass them.

But it is a pride of the dwellers of this ancient city. I was once invited by BBC Radio 4 to talk about Lahore`s wrestlers, especially `The Great Gama`. In England Gama is still recalled with pride. From the surrounding areas of the city, the best move towards the `akharas` of Lahore, and then move on to greatness.