HP government to honour Khali

Daleep Singh Rana alias Khali in conversation with the President of India Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. Photograph: Rashtrapati Bhavan

"The state will honour Khali, a native of Sirmaur district," Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal's office told PTI on Tuesday.

Since Dhumal is busy in campaigning for the May 22 Hamirpur Lok Sabha by-poll, we are making efforts to find a suitable date for the function, they added.

The sources said the decision to honour Khali was taken as he has acted as a kind of international brand ambassador of the state.

An official of the state government had presented a bouquet to Khali on behalf of the Chief Minister on his arrival to Delhi from the US recently.

Khali, 7.3 feet tall and weighing 185 kg, was born in Dhiraina village under Shillai tehsil of Sirmaur district in 1972. Khali's life is a story of rag to riches.

• Spotted: The Great Khali

Working as a labourer in Shimla, Khali was spotted by a top Punjab cop who took him along to train him in wrestling.

Meanwhile, people of his native village are eagerly waiting for the arrival of 'Daleep bhai'.

His family has built a new house and put eight-foot-long doors in it. Khali has also acted in a few Hollywood movies.