Gambian wrestling

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The opponent
Gambian wrestling
There is plenty of atmosphere

The Gambian wrestling ( Wolof Borey , Boreh or Borreh (correct spelling: bëre or bëré ) and Laamb (correct spelling: làmb ) , Mandinka Nyoboringo or Nyoboro ), also known under the French name lutte africaine or lutte sénégalaise , is a popular sport with great Tradition in the West African region of Senegambia ( Gambia and Senegal ). But forms of this African wrestling are also known in Niger and Nigeria .

There were already wrestling competitions among members of the West African ruling families in the 11th century , as they were considered a royal, highly respected sport at that time. Today the competition is held in every village, especially on the southern border and in the Senegalese region of Casamance .

The wrestling is among men, especially from the ethnic group of the Diola (different spelling Dioula or Jola operated). This form of wrestling has a similar position in the Gambia as sumo wrestling in Japan. The opponents give each other good-sounding names and are respected members of the village.

Once a year the best wrestlers from all over the country meet in Kanilai to compete against each other. At the end of the day, the best wrestler was awarded by the former President Yahya Jammeh , himself a member of the Diola ethnic group and an enthusiastic wrestler. The largest and best known wrestling arena is in Bakoteh , a district of Serekunda , on the road to Sukuta . There are fights every Saturday and Sunday , except in Ramadan .

procedure

For Gambian wrestling, the population meets on the weekend afternoons in a free place in the village ( Banta-Ba ) to watch the wrestlers, who are only dressed in loincloths , fight. The wrestlers try to influence themselves with all kinds of happiness rituals ; so jujus (luck amulets) are worn around the neck or the sacred crocodile basins of Kachikally or Berending are visited beforehand . During this time the women try to prepare the food for everyone. It sometimes gives the appearance of a cozy barbecue that the village meets for. In contrast to wrestling, which is practiced at the “European” sporting events, any grip is allowed in the Gambian variant. Although there are no prohibited holds or actions, the fight is usually fair and respectful. The same applies here: Whoever is on the ground first has lost. The winner of the day deserves all the glory. The day ends with a party.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hartmut Buchholz: Senegal, Gambia . DuMont, Cologne 1998, ISBN 3-7701-4189-X .
  2. ^ Rosel Jahn: Gambia: travel guide with regional studies . Mai, Dreieich 1997, ISBN 3-87936-239-4 .

Web links

Commons : Lutte sénégalaise  - collection of images, videos and audio files