HP government to honour Khali

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

The Himachal Pradesh [ Images ] government has decided to honour World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestler Daleep Singh Rana alias Khali.

"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 [ Images ] 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 [ Images ] 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.