Early Life
Baloo was born in July 1875 in Dharwad. His father was employed in the army, and he either worked in an ammunition factory in Kirkee, or was a sepoy in the 112th Infantry Regiment. His family name of Palwankar came from his native village of Palwan. Being a Dalit, he faced discrimination prevalent in India at that time. (Guha 2002:86)
His first job was tending the pitch at a cricket club for Parsis in Poona, now known as Pune. He also occasionally bowled to the members, and was paid 3 Rupees a month. Around 1892, he moved to the Poona Club, a cricket club for Europeans, where his duties included rolling and sweeping the pitch, erecting the practice nets and occasionally marking the tennis courts. His salary increased to Rs.4 a month.
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