GEF's Outlook: Beachside Wrestling in Tourist Haven called Mbour

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January 14, 2009

Beachside Wrestling in Tourist Haven called Mbour

Mbour is a beautiful touristic resort situated some 83 km from Dakar, along what is known as la petite côte. Its sandy beaches are quite clean and the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean very refreshing. As in most tourist destinations in Africa, it is Europeans and Americans who are the common feature in the many hotels built as luxury camps.

The locals who are not employed in one way or the other in the hospitality and hotel management business that flourishes here, tend to be fishermen or local art vendors.

A host of young men spend hours playing beach soccer but more often than not you would find the boys flexing their muscles in traditional wrestling bouts.

As I have said a number of times on this blog,traditional wrestling is popular in Senegal. Wrestlers competing in the championnat de lutte avec Frappe, earn fabulous sums of money. Youngsters are dreaming of emulating their local champions. They train hard in clubs. However, my view is some of the really relaxing fights are those seen on beaches like in Mbour. They are a touristic attraction in their own right.

I spent some days in Mbour. It was restful. As bonus could watch these boys wrestle. When I pulled out my camera to keep an electronic memory of those moments, the guys thought I was a scout from the big clubs in Dakar... Then they decided that I was a reporter for the Senegalese national tv channel RTS which covers wrestling... As a result they gave it their best shot!

Of course, I am not from RTS and cannot give them national fame. I could at least provide some form of international exposure through youtube et al. There's how you got the video at the start of this story.

Personally, this was some consolation after missing the wesua (palapala) tournament organised by FECA UK in Buea at almost the same period.

But differences remain. On one end the decor is a blue ocean and hot sandy beaches and on the other end - the grass is green and the fighters have loins around their waists!