By George Esunge Fominyen
Traditional African wrestlers have been girding their loins for weeks, each having the ambition of emerging champion at the African Traditional Wrestling Championships hosted on 2 to 10 July 2008 by Senegal. A review of press articles on the event reveals that Senegal are the hot favourites with Niger, Mali, Togo, Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso , Nigeria and Mauritania as the other participants. Painfully, Cameroon is absent from the list although there is a tradition of wrestling especially amongs the coastal ethnic groups and the Bakweris in particular.
Traditional wrestling among the Bakweris who inhabit the Fako division of Cameroon’s South West province, is not merely a sport; it is an integral part of the culture. During the dry season when the heavy rains that abound in that part of the world give way to some good weather, the inter-village wrestling competitions are a joy to behold.
The young and tough men of each village drop their western garments every weekend knot an esung’a sanja (piece of loin) around their waist and test each other’s physical endurance, agility, and smartness for leisure, inter-village rivalry and competition. It is time for wesua – an art handed down for generations. Girls and women in their Kabas (traditional gown) and boys and men in their best sanjas, shirt and hats stream to the éwok’esua (wrestling field) to watch the games.
Simple rules, simple fun
The rules are simple. At the start all contestants meet in the middle of the field. They tease one another and pick from the opposing villages who they intend to challenge. If the challenge is accepted, the umpires indicate the order. A bout last for three rounds and the winner is the person who is able throw his/her opponent on his back or flat on the stomach. As the drummers strike the Djimbi from their elevated hut, the contests reaches a crescendo as the supporters rival each other with songs about heroes of the past from their villages. When the games are over the bonding is supreme.
That was a regular feature in the past. It is now nearly extinct. The Fako traditional wrestling league does as much as it can to keep the flame burning but it seems the wind of time is stronger. In December 2007, after several failed attempts at re-jigging wrestling in their homeland, Fako Elite based in the UK were able to draw a good crowd to the Buea town green for a hotly contested contest. A big trophy was available for the winning village. It re-awakened the dwindling tradition.
But the pala pala (or wrestling) fighters in Buea, Limbe and Muyuka would surely collapse if they were to learn what traditional wrestlers in Senegal earn per bout. Each weekend the winner of the big fight goes home with approximately 40 million FCFA. The fights take place in 18 000 to 40 000 capacity stadiums accompanied by live broadcast on television and sponsorship from Orange and Tigo the two mobile phone companies in the country.
Learn from the Senegalese experience
Like most west Africans, the Senegalese practice traditional wrestling on the same lines as described above. But to give it entertainment surplus they re-wrote the rules to allow blows as well (lute traditional avec frappe). It is a national sport that draws even the first Lady Vivien Wade to the stands. It was the case on 1 January 2006 when the fights of fights between Mohammed Ndao (aka Tyson) confronted Yakhya Diop, alias Yekini at the national stadium. The winner took home a whooping 65 million FCFA and the loser 60 million FCFA. President Wade even had to wish both fighters well in his 31st December 2005 address. Today some bouts have reached the 80 million FCFA mark.
Cameroon must learn from Senegal. It is possible that the many brains that make up the diaspora could set up a real strategy to make traditional wrestling in the country a big moment. Companies must be encouraged to see how profitable this could be for marketing as their counterparts in Senegal have realized. Maybe this should start with the elite from the areas in coastal and northern Cameroon where traditional wrestling is still resisting complete erasure. Bakweri elite in the UK have started; they should not end at an occasional move. Other should follow. We can all begin by throwing ideas via this blog.
Mola,
You hit the nail on the head.
We started this last year with a cut down version. We agreed with the people on the ground that it will be an annual event and we certainly intend to make it so. We are also looking for sponsors. But I am not sure we will get to the Senegalese scale in my time. We will certainly try. As there are alot of un-employed young men in our villages. This could be a touristic attraction and generate some income for some of our boys and girls.
Posted by: Mola Ndeley Molulu | August 15, 2008 at 02:22 AM