Premchand Dogra
Encyclopedia
Premchand Degra is an IFBB
professional bodybuilder from India
. Also mentioned as Premchand Degra/Dhingra. He won the Mr. Universe
title in the short-height 80 kg category in 1988. He was also awarded the "Achievement Medal" by the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) in 2003, for winning its World Middleweight Champion title in 1988.
Mr. Degra lives in Hoshiarpur
(Punjab) and trains budding body builders in his own gym. He was awarded the Padma Shri
by the Government of India.
of Punjab
, Premchand Degra has striven hard to mould his body into a muscular delight. He began his sports career as a wrestler after completing his matriculation from Government High School of the neighbouring Tibber village in 1973. It was only in 1980 that he developed an interest in body building and rose to be crowned Mr. Punjab, Mr. North India, Mr. India (9 times in a row), Mr, Asia (8 times) and finally Mr. World (Middle-weight class and Mr. Universe.
The world title earned him the Padma Shri in 1990. Earlier he had received the Arjuna Award in 1986. He is also the recipient of the Punjab Government's Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award (1994), Tata best Sportsman Award (1986) Charminar Challenge Trophy. Prem made his national debut by claiming a Bronze Medal in Middle-Weight Class at Darjeeling in 1980. He followed it up by winning three Gold Medals next year that made him Mr. Punjab, Junior Mr. India and Senior Mr. India 1981. He retained the title of Mr. India in middleweight category 1984. Thereafter he moved over to Light Heavy Weight Class and for next five years (1985–1989) won the title of Mr India in this class too.
He began his international career by bagging the title of Mr. Asia in Middle-weight Class at Karachi in 1983, a feat he was to repeat at Seoul in 1984. Subsequently he switched over to Light Heavy-weight Class in Mr. Asia contest too, winning the title at Colombo in 1985, Taipei in 1986 and Malaysia in 1987.
Dogra stuck to Middle-weight Class in all the five appearances he made at the World Championships. He first competed for the world title in 1984 at Las Vegas where he finished 14th, He moved up to 4th position in 1985 in Sweden and was named the Most Improved Bodybuilder of the year. He won Silver Medal at Tokyo in 1986 and was again placed at 4th place at Madrid (Spain) in 1987. The climax came in 1988 when at Queensland in Australia he won the Gold in Middle-Weight class and was crowned Mr. World. Prem Dogra turned professional in 1989 and the same year participated in Mr. Olympia contest. He then went on to win the 1st Pro-Am Classic of Mr. Asia in 1990 and the 2nd Pro-Am Classic of Mr. Asia in 1991. Five years later, he returned to win the Gold in Light Heavy-weight category of Mr. Asia championship held at Delhi in 1996.
Source : "India's Highest Sports Awards and Those Who Won Them" by S.S.Gandhi, The Defence Review
IFBB
IFBB can refer to:* Independent Family Brewers of Britain* International Federation of BodyBuilders...
professional bodybuilder from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Also mentioned as Premchand Degra/Dhingra. He won the Mr. Universe
World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships
The World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships is a male bodybuilding contest organised by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness and first held in 1959. The name was changed in 1976 to avoid confusion with the NABBA Mr...
title in the short-height 80 kg category in 1988. He was also awarded the "Achievement Medal" by the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) in 2003, for winning its World Middleweight Champion title in 1988.
Mr. Degra lives in Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur is a city and a municipal council in Hoshiarpur district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the fourth century. In 1809 it was occupied by the forces of Maharaja Karanvir Singh and was united into the greater state of Punjab....
(Punjab) and trains budding body builders in his own gym. He was awarded the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
by the Government of India.
Biography
Born on at Babri Nangal village in Gurdaspur districtGurdaspur District
Gurdaspur district is a district in the state of Punjab, situated in the northwest part of the Republic of India. Gurdaspur is the district headquarters. It internationally borders Narowal District of the Pakistani Punjab, Kathua District of Jammu and Kashmir, the Punjab districts of Amritsar and...
of Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
, Premchand Degra has striven hard to mould his body into a muscular delight. He began his sports career as a wrestler after completing his matriculation from Government High School of the neighbouring Tibber village in 1973. It was only in 1980 that he developed an interest in body building and rose to be crowned Mr. Punjab, Mr. North India, Mr. India (9 times in a row), Mr, Asia (8 times) and finally Mr. World (Middle-weight class and Mr. Universe.
The world title earned him the Padma Shri in 1990. Earlier he had received the Arjuna Award in 1986. He is also the recipient of the Punjab Government's Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award (1994), Tata best Sportsman Award (1986) Charminar Challenge Trophy. Prem made his national debut by claiming a Bronze Medal in Middle-Weight Class at Darjeeling in 1980. He followed it up by winning three Gold Medals next year that made him Mr. Punjab, Junior Mr. India and Senior Mr. India 1981. He retained the title of Mr. India in middleweight category 1984. Thereafter he moved over to Light Heavy Weight Class and for next five years (1985–1989) won the title of Mr India in this class too.
He began his international career by bagging the title of Mr. Asia in Middle-weight Class at Karachi in 1983, a feat he was to repeat at Seoul in 1984. Subsequently he switched over to Light Heavy-weight Class in Mr. Asia contest too, winning the title at Colombo in 1985, Taipei in 1986 and Malaysia in 1987.
Dogra stuck to Middle-weight Class in all the five appearances he made at the World Championships. He first competed for the world title in 1984 at Las Vegas where he finished 14th, He moved up to 4th position in 1985 in Sweden and was named the Most Improved Bodybuilder of the year. He won Silver Medal at Tokyo in 1986 and was again placed at 4th place at Madrid (Spain) in 1987. The climax came in 1988 when at Queensland in Australia he won the Gold in Middle-Weight class and was crowned Mr. World. Prem Dogra turned professional in 1989 and the same year participated in Mr. Olympia contest. He then went on to win the 1st Pro-Am Classic of Mr. Asia in 1990 and the 2nd Pro-Am Classic of Mr. Asia in 1991. Five years later, he returned to win the Gold in Light Heavy-weight category of Mr. Asia championship held at Delhi in 1996.
Source : "India's Highest Sports Awards and Those Who Won Them" by S.S.Gandhi, The Defence Review
Bodybuilding titles
- 1983 Asian Amateur Championships - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 1st
- 1984 Asian Amateur Championships - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 1st
- 1985 Asian Amateur Championships - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 1st
- 1985 World Amateur Bodybuilding ChampionshipsWorld Amateur Bodybuilding ChampionshipsThe World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships is a male bodybuilding contest organised by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness and first held in 1959. The name was changed in 1976 to avoid confusion with the NABBA Mr...
- IFBB, MiddleWeight, 4th - 1986 Asian Amateur Championships - IFBB, Light-HeavyWeight, 1st
- 1986 IFBB Mr. Universe - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 2nd
- 1987 Asian Amateur Championships - IFBB, Light-HeavyWeight, 1st
- 1987 IFBB Mr. Universe - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 4th
- 1988 IFBB Mr. Universe - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 1st
- 1989 Mr. OlympiaMr. OlympiaMr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend - an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness . Joe Weider created the contest to enable the...
- IFBB, Did not place - 1992 Niagara Falls Pro Invitational - IFBB, 18th
- 1996 Asian Amateur Championships - IFBB, Light-MiddleWeight, 1st