JANUARY 2021 - VOL II ISSUE I
ANALYSIS
W R E S T L I N G D R E A M S I N S E N E G A L
BY KINGSLEY KOBO , ABIDJAN , COTE D ' IVOIRE INTRO :
IN SENEGAL , SOCCER AND WRESTLING KEEP BATTLING FOR ATTENTION AMONGST FANS WHO HAVE A CHOICE TO MAKE IN A COUNTRY WHERE THE ROUND LEATHER NO LONGER REIGNS AS KING .
EVERY SENEGALESE APPEARS TO HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR WRESTLING , PERHAPS MORE THAN FOOTBALL , WHICH REMAINS AFRICA ’ S MOST POPULAR SPORT .
A HIGH SCHOOL LAD OR STREET HAWKER IN DAKAR COULD NAME ALMOST ALL THE TOP PAST AND PRESENT WRESTLERS FROM NORTH
TO SOUTH OF THE WEST AFRICAN COUNTRY AND COULD PROVIDE THE SCHEDULES FOR UPCOMING BOUTS .
MARKET WOMEN AND SENIORS PROUDLY DON T-SHIRTS OF THEIR FAVORITE WRESTLERS AND NEVER HESITATE SHUTTING DOWN SHOPS TO ATTEND A FIGHT . WRESTLING IS A PART AND PARCEL OF THE PEOPLE ’ S SOCIAL LIFE , AND IS GROWING STRONGER BY THE DAY THANKS TO THE ONGOING PROFESSIONALIZATION OF THE TRADITIONAL SPORT .
INITIALLY , THE CRUDE FORM KNOWN AS FOLK WRESTLING USED TO BE PART OF VILLAGE FESTIVALS HELD AFTER THE HARVEST SEASON OR AS INITIATION RITE , DURING WHICH YOUNG MEN
ENGAGED IN FIGHTS TO PROVE THEIR VIRILITY AND HONOR THEIR COMMUNITIES .
LOCALLY REFERRED TO AS LUTTE
( IN FRENCH ) OR LAMB ( IN THE WOLOF LANGUAGE ), IT WAS ORIGINATED BY THE SERER PEOPLE , WHO CONSTITUTE THE THIRD-LARGEST ETHNIC GROUP IN SENEGAL , ABOUT 15 % OF THE POPULATION . THEY ARE ALSO FOUND IN NEIGHBORING GAMBIA AND MAURITANIA , WHERE SIMILAR WRESTLING ACTIVITIES ALSO TAKE PLACE .
SENEGALESE WRESTLING HAS TRANSCENDED ETHNIC GROUPS AND NOW ENJOYS THE STATUS OF NATIONAL SPORT , WITH A
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