"Feeding A Champion Wrestler" joke

GENERAL Gul Hasan in his Memoirs has one amusing episode about the famous wrestler Gama who migrated from Patiala to Pakistan in 1947.

'When everyone had eaten, there were some delegations waiting to see the Governor-General. The first of these was headed by Gama, our champion wrestler. Khawaja Nizamuddin talked to him for a bit and then moved on, leaving it to Mudie to sort out his problems. I was with Mudie.

Gama told him he could not make ends meet, leave alone attempting to keep himself in shape for any tournaments that might be arranged. In the princely State of Patiala, where he had been, he was given a handsome salary and all his nourishment was provided free of cost.

Mudie casually asked him how much it amounted to. Gama replied he did not know the cost but he was provided with the following items daily: six gallons of milk, an equal amount of purified butter, and a long catalogue of other such devastating items in equally devastating quantities, ending up with twenty pounds of almonds to munch daily!

The Governor said he would look into it, but did not promise that all his needs would be met in full. On returning to the Governor's House, I asked Mudie what he wished me to do about Gama's request.

He looked at me quizzically and said, "Gul, the budget of the Punjab cannot afford to keep Gama in trim, so I shall refer his demand to the Central Government"!'