SENEGAL: With traditional Senegalese wrestlers earning 300,000 US dollars per match, this decades old sport is attracting thousands of youth training to become the country's next champion

Record ID: 493610

  • Title: SENEGAL: With traditional Senegalese wrestlers earning 300,000 US dollars per match, this decades old sport is attracting thousands of youth training to become the country's next champion
  • Date: 18th June 2013
  • Summary: DAKAR, SENEGAL (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TWO WRESTLERS LOCKED TOGETHER DURING WRESTLING PRACTICE FEET OF TWO WRESTLERS MOVING ONE OF THE WRESTLERS HOLDING HIS ADVERSARY BY THE WAIST VARIOUS OF SPECTATORS, MOSTLY MADE UP OF YOUTH, WATCHING FOUR WRESTLERS TRAINING ONE WRESTLER PICKING UP AN ELASTIC HEADBAND NEXT TO ANOTHER WRESTLER SITTING DOWN, UNDER THE WATCH OF SPECTATORS (SOUNDBITE) (Wolof) IBRA GUEYE, AMATEUR WRESTLER AND PRESIDENT OF THE TEAM DOOR DOORAT FAN CLUB SAYING: "Wrestling is a culture in this country, it's a great sport, and very important. It attracts many people, from ministers to the President of the Republic, all of whom have even promised to build a new grand arena just for wrestling. Wrestling has evolved a lot in this country, even the children forget about their school work and go out to wrestle instead, mimicking the wrestling stars they admire." VARIOUS OF BUS CARRYING WRESTLING SUPPORTERS, WITH SOME SITTING ON TOP WRESTLING SUPPORTERS DRESSED IN GREEN SCREAMING AND RUNNING VARIOUS OF TICKET VENDOR SELLING TO FANS VARIOUS OF WRESTLING SUPPORTERS GETTING INTO DEMBA DIOP STADIUM VARIOUS OF CHEERING SUPPORTERS IN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Wolof) IBRA GUEYE, AMATEUR WRESTLER AND PRESIDENT OF THE TEAM DOOR DOORAT FAN CLUB SAYING: "Today, when someone tells you that there is a football match that costs 300 CFA (around $0.50), and over there, you have a wrestling match that costs 10,000 CFA ($20), you will see the wrestling stadium filling up quickly, but for the soccer you won't even see five people, which proves the power of wrestling." VARIOUS OF BILLBOARDS ADVERTISING MOBILE PHONES WITH PHOTOS OF WRESTLERS VARIOUS OF DEMBA DIOP STADIUM EMPTY ON THE DAY OF THE SOCCER MATCH FOR PREMIER LEAGUE OF SENEGAL/FAN BUYING HIS TICKET VARIOUS OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH BETWEEN NIARY TALLY AND PORT AUTONOME OF DAKAR STADIUM DURING THE GAME, SHOWING EMPTY BLEACHERS VARIOUS OF SOME FANS SEATED DURING MATCH VARIOUS OF SAER SECK, PRESIDENT OF SENEGAL'S PREMIER FOOTBALL LEAGUE TALKING WITH SOMEONE WATCHING THE MATCH EMPTY CHAIRS (SOUNDBITE) (French) SAER SECK, PRESIDENT OF SENEGAL'S PREMIER FOOTBALL LEAGUE SAYING: "We know that today wrestlers have a large following beyond their neighbourhoods, but it extends to their native towns, as well as in their different social circles. So you have all these wrestlers who have a huge following. But who buys these t-shirts? Who pays for transport? Who hires all these buses? It's exactly the same phenomenon that happens in certain political circles. If in football we had buses leaving from Pikine, Guediawaye, Parcelles, Medinawere (cities in Senegal), we would also be able to fill stadiums, but we use a different approach. Our approach is that a supporter must remain a supporter, and does not become someone who has to be tolerated." VARIOUS OF POSTERS OF WRESTLERS ON SALE
  • Embargoed: 3rd July 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Senegal
  • Country: Senegal
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA23GILYS532ONCOMTDHCC2RZGP
  • Story Text: A mix of boxing and wrestling, Senegalese traditional wrestling, known as "lutte", has secured a firm grasp on the country's attention, and appears to be winning the battle for sports fans.
    Practised across the African continent for hundreds of years, wrestling in Senegal began as something farmers did to pass time during the dry seasons, while they were in the cities looking for work, attracting an eager audience of people who liked watching and betting on the matches.
    As the sport gained popularity, it began to incorporate elements of boxing, martial arts, judo, karate, as well other traditional elements of African wrestling.
    Ibra Gueye, an amateur wrestler and President of the Team Door Doorat Fanclub said that it's small touches like these that give the sport a distinctly Senegalese identity and make it stand out as a popular sport that youths across the country can identify with.

    "Wrestling is a culture in this country, it's a great sport, and very important. It attracts many people, from ministers to the President of the Republic, all of whom have even promised to build a new grand arena just for wrestling. Wrestling has evolved a lot in this country, even the children forget about their school work and go out to wrestle instead, mimicking the wrestling stars they admire," he said.
    An essential aspect of the sport's appeal in Senegal is a star wrestler's ability to draw in fans from their neighborhood, ethnic group and even village of origin.
    Athletes come from a diverse range of ethnic groups in the country such as Wolof, Serer and Joola, and fans often lend their unbridled support to a fighter who has similar background.
    This fierce sense of loyalty helps drive up ticket sales.
    The sport is so popular, that it has surpassed football, Senegal's other favourite sport, and beats out soccer when it comes to packing crowds into the stadium, said Gueye.

    "Today, when someone tells you that there is a football match that costs 300 CFA (around $.50), and over there, you have a wrestling match that costs 10,000 CFA ($20), you will see the wrestling stadium filling up quickly, but for the soccer you won't even see five people, which proves the power of wrestling," he said.
    Interests in football has waned in recent years, as more people flock to wrestling matches, leaving the once popular local football league out in the cold.
    At a recent football match between Niary Tally and Port Autonome supporters only filled a portion of the stadium.
    But Saer Seck, President of Senegal's Football Premier League, said that to compare the two sports' popularity one must take into account the fact that traditional wrestling stars often pay for their supporters' meals, transportation end even t-shirts.

    "We know that today wrestlers have a large following beyond their neighbourhoods, but it extends to their native towns, as well as in their different social circles. So you have all these wrestlers who have a huge following. But who buys these t-shirts? Who pays for transport? Who hires all these buses? It's exactly the same phenomenon that happens in certain political circles. If in football we had buses leaving from Pikine, Guediawaye, Parcelles, Medinawere (cities in Senegal), we would also be able to fill stadiums, but we use a different approach. Our approach is that a supporter must remain a supporter, and does not become someone who has to be tolerated," Seck said.
    According to experts, traditional wrestling in Senegal has its drawbacks.
    Today, there are more than 4,000 traditional wrestlers licensed in Senegal to be professional fighters, while just between 150 and 200 get to actually compete in a match each year.
    With athletes earning upwards of CFA 150 million (nearly $300,000,) for simply participating in an important match, the appeal is there, but that appeal risks causing a surplus of fighters who have the training, but nowhere to compete.
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