Gobor Goho, India’s first-ever  official world champion                                                                        

Although Gama Pehelwan was the first Indian wrestler to be considered a world champion, he could not be officially crowned because at the time in 1910 there was no official wrestling championship for professional wrestlers. That ultimate crown was reserved for Gobor Goho, an almost unknown name in modern India.

Some people do not require prefixes or suffixes. They fly high on their own. They inspire. They mould. They become the vanguard of movements. They do not crave for fame or fortune. In every field of endeavour they exist. They are the karma-yogis who just leave behind a trail for others to follow.

Such a soul was Gobor Goho of Calcutta. He won the world light-heavy weight wrestling championship in 1921. Gobor was a rare wrestler. He combined academics and music with massive physical strength. High on courage and technical skills, he was a prominent name in world wrestling in the 1920s. No opposition was formidable enough for him. No occasion, awe-inspiring. At 6 feet, 2 inches and weighing around 250 pounds, he himself was an imposing figure.

Born Jatindra Charan Goho on 23^rd March 1892 in a wealthy, enlightened background, he did not wrestle for money or for political patronage. His grandfather Ambika was great advocate of physical-culture among the Indian youths, especially belonging to the wealthy families who despised the idea of physical effort.

 Ambika Charan Goho established an ankhara at his north Kolkata residence way back in the 1880s. Later his sons Khetra Charan and Ram Charan (Gobor’s father) carried on the mission. The famous freedom-fighter ‘Bagha’ Jatin and Narendranath Dutta (later Swami Vivekananda) were trainees at the Goho wrestling ankhara.

Young Jatindra was a meritorious student. But unlike his father and uncle, he could not attain the ‘first’ rank in his academic class. His grandfather Ambika Charan lovingly said, “He has gobor (cow-dung) instead of giloo (grey-cells) in his head.” But his grandmother would not take it lying down. “Don’t worry,” she added, “his gobor will be worth more than your giloo.” Thus Jatin became Gobor overnight, as it were. Even such a rude, awkward nickname could not rattle the focus of this karma-yogin.

Khetra  Charan and Ram Charan  realized the young Gobor’s potential and so appointed Khosla Choubey, a famous wrestler, to guide and advise him. Later Gobor came under the tutelage of Rehmani and Khalifa, two famous pehelwans of the period, and took part in wrestling competitions all over India and abroad.

In 1910 Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupendra Singh sent Gama, Imam Baksh, Ahmed Baksh, Gamu and Gobor to Europe. Within days, however, he was forced to return as he had vanished without informing his parents! He was just 17 at the time and his father, although a great patron of wrestling, was extremely annoyed because Gobor had not shown the obedience and discipline expected of him.

That trip saw Gama emerging as the unofficial world champion. This was just the catalyst that young Gobor needed. Inspired by Gama’s magnificent exploits, young Gobor practised hard and diligently in his quest for the crown. In 1913 in UK he annexed the Scottish and the British titles. Following year in Paris he became the European champion.

But the philosopher-wrestler wanted only the world title. In 1921 at San Francisco he finally encountered Adolf Shantel, the world champion. It was a clash of titans, where the champion succumbed to Goho’s skill, speed and stamina.

The international community hailed the new champion of the world light-heavy weight crown. Unlike his famous compatriots, Gobor made many trips abroad and was highly acclaimed for his erudition, patriotism and for his wrestling prowess.

But in India, Gobor Goho’s success was only grudgingly acknowledged. Prejudice and jealousy kept his international eminence submerged. He did not belong to any of the influential akharas. Nor did he depend on any princely patronage. Rather he himself was nicknamed “The Prince” for his bearing and background.

His world championship-winning feat has hardly ever been highlighted in partisan India. In India at the time it was felt that a person hailing from a wealthy background did not deserve to be an eminent wrestler! Even now the sentiment has hardly altered. Gobor Goho, ever the karma-yogin, cared not. He traversed his own path with his head held high.