Category

Sports

Location

Samba Dia, Senegal

Gear

Nikon D850 and Nikkor 200-500mm

Description

From my series: Sadio Mane, who? People see “Senegal” and “Sport” and think about the little African Magician, the humblest man alive (ok, maybe N'Golo Kante would disagree, but hear me out) the current “KING” of African football, Sadio Mane. Well it is NOT! This is about his fellow countrymen, man mountains, men whose movement is akin to that of a hummingbird, men who are cunning nature like a big game cat to outsmart their opponents, this is about wrestling, a sport that dates back to the 14th century in this region and many would say IS the national sport of this beautiful cultural land that is Senegal. The sport has a rich heritage mainly within the Serer people where local songs, dances, mystical paraphernalia, unrecognisable liquids are consumed, items are set on fire as sacrifices and the “bakk” is performed before the start of combat; all to ramp up the entertainment factor for onlookers, as well as intimidate their opponents before the first grain of sand is disturbed. The art of wrestling falls under three forms, Olympic wrestling, Wrestling without hitting and Wrestling with striking, I bet you can guess which one generates the big bucks. Also, the word of the moment “inclusivity” that rules here, male/female, rich/poor, local/foreigner, young/old, city/village, everybody is welcome. One key message for the youth of Senegalese who idolise these Gladiators and want the fame and riches is…“That don't be a fool, stay in school”

Photographer

Rico X.

Social Media

Instagram: adventures_of_rico

Website: https://rico-x.com

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