It's always interesting to explore the favorite pastimes and sports of the world. As an American I'm certainly familiar with basketball, baseball and a host of other pastimes but on the world stage I am only just beginning to learn, love and indulge in the international scene.
One of my favorites is wrestling. Wrestling although an olympic sport is not a hugely popular sport in North America and is more commonly recognized as the WWF entertainment empire on television. The traditional sport of wrestling has historic roots dating back to the beginning of time and in the international sporting scene wrestling in wildly popular especially in places like Turkey and Africa. On a recent trip to West Africa I had the "
pleasure" of a few firsthand matches of my own with a few of the nation's top wrestling All-Stars.
I learned that for many Africans wrestling is a tradition and spiritual experience and for a lucky few it is a path out of poverty and the slums. Successful wrestlers can earn huge sums of money and enjoy popularity as much as American athletes. Wrestlers begin at a young age, in their villages and townships, and if good enough, win their way onto the national scene, where the stakes and money are extremely high. Matches are held in national stadiums and village squares on most weekends and draw tremendous crowds. Elders, men, women and children all attend eager to support their favorite wrestlers.
The day at the stadium was great - adventure-filled with eye candy all over the place I thought I was going to have a case of whiplash before the day was over. Everyone paid their 25 CFA ($5.00 USD) and crammed into the concrete no-frills arena. As it was my first time, the fellas thought I would be more comfortable at the extreme top of the stands, but they quickly realized we'd be stuck up there, literally locked in by the massive crowd below for the rest of the day! We arrived at 3:00 in the afternoon and the matches began at 5:00, with major fan fare and pageantry, as each wrestler entered the arena with his entourage of drummers, dancers and holy trinkets to bless himself before entering the ring. The crowd roared to their feet - chanting, singing and screaming as their favorites ran around the arena taunting, posing and emphasizing their prowess. The matches lasted well into midnight before there was a final winner. And it took us yet another hour to depart as we had to wait for the people beneath us to exit the arena. Funny thing, there was this huge pit behind the stadium when we finally got out and there must have been more than a hundred men answering the call of nature in unison. Damn, what a photo that would've made!
Bodybuilding is another sport I enjoy, albeit strictly as an observer. As health and fitness becomes more affordable and popular worldwide so does popularity in the sport. Bodybuilding has caught on like wildfire in the Dominican Republic, Africa and the Middle East on amateur and professional levels. There are so many interests and hobbies to pursue on your next adventure wherever it maybe. Take a chance and try something different for a change!
One of my favorites is wrestling. Wrestling although an olympic sport is not a hugely popular sport in North America and is more commonly recognized as the WWF entertainment empire on television. The traditional sport of wrestling has historic roots dating back to the beginning of time and in the international sporting scene wrestling in wildly popular especially in places like Turkey and Africa. On a recent trip to West Africa I had the "pleasure" of a few firsthand matches of my own with a few of the nation's top wrestling All-Stars.
I learned that for many Africans wrestling is a tradition and spiritual experience and for a lucky few it is a path out of poverty and the slums. Successful wrestlers can earn huge sums of money and enjoy popularity as much as American athletes. Wrestlers begin at a young age, in their villages and townships, and if good enough, win their way onto the national scene, where the stakes and money are extremely high. Matches are held in national stadiums and village squares on most weekends and draw tremendous crowds. Elders, men, women and children all attend eager to support their favorite wrestlers.
The day at the stadium was great - adventure-filled with eye candy all over the place I thought I was going to have a case of whiplash before the day was over. Everyone paid their 25 CFA ($5.00 USD) and crammed into the concrete no-frills arena. As it was my first time, the fellas thought I would be more comfortable at the extreme top of the stands, but they quickly realized we'd be stuck up there, literally locked in by the massive crowd below for the rest of the day! We arrived at 3:00 in the afternoon and the matches began at 5:00, with major fan fare and pageantry, as each wrestler entered the arena with his entourage of drummers, dancers and holy trinkets to bless himself before entering the ring. The crowd roared to their feet - chanting, singing and screaming as their favorites ran around the arena taunting, posing and emphasizing their prowess. The matches lasted well into midnight before there was a final winner. And it took us yet another hour to depart as we had to wait for the people beneath us to exit the arena. Funny thing, there was this huge pit behind the stadium when we finally got out and there must have been more than a hundred men answering the call of nature in unison. Damn, what a photo that would've made!
Bodybuilding is another sport I enjoy, albeit strictly as an observer. As health and fitness becomes more affordable and popular worldwide so does popularity in the sport. Bodybuilding has caught on like wildfire in the Dominican Republic, Africa and the Middle East on amateur and professional levels. There are so many interests and hobbies to pursue on your next adventure wherever it maybe. Take a chance and try something different for a change!
Posts
1 comment:
I think I'm more interested in the athletes more than the sports.
Post a Comment