Dear Editor,
Mohd Billa the pride of Jammu and Kashmir who passed away on Wednesday had inspired youth of the State to take part in sports activities and his contributions to promote Indian style wrestling will be remembered in the times to come, said Shiv Kumar Sharma President of Indian Style Wrestling Association
Mohd. Billa the star of traditional Dangals was born in 1965 in a small village Nargara Jandial in Tehsil Akhnoor, belonged to the prominent wrestlers namely Quassim Pehalwan, his father, Noora Pehalwan, his uncle, Jatia Pehalwan, his grand father, Allah Mai Pehalwan his younger brother and Bodh Raj his Ustaad, Ustaad of Diwana Mandir Akhara.
His father inspired him into the physical sport of wrestling at the minor age of seven years. His father was a strict disciplinarian who made Billa to do regular practice at the wee hours.However in order to strike perfection, Billa joined Akhara Diwana Mandir Jammu at the early stages and later under the able guidance of Pehalwan Lakhbir Singh Lakkha of Hoshiarpur. As a result Billa’s wrestling bouts with Parwinder Singh, Bharat Kumar and Bharat Kesari winner of Dumshedi Akhara, Jagdish Kaliraman and Subash Verma were remarked as the best among his wrestling career besides winning many Kesari titles like Himachal Kesari etc. As an appreciation for his contributions to the wrestling sport, then DGP of Police Peer Gulam Hassan Shah recruited him in Jammu and Kashmir Police in 1987 under Sports Quota. Billa continued with his wrestling battles which once got him silver medal in Senior National Wrestling Championship at Maharashtra in 1993. Wrestling experts have remarked many times that Billa’s reflexes against his opponents were swifter than the flow of electricity. At family and social front, he was a kind and apple pie of
masses.
Sanjeev Sharma
Reasi
