Swiss and Senegalese wrestlers exchange traditional styles in Dakar

Three Senegalese and three Swiss wrestlers competed in a cultural exchange event in Dakar, Senegal, to blend their respective national wrestling traditions.

The event took place in the Parcelles Assainies municipality during the opening of the Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympics held on African soil. Before the matches began, the Swiss athletes swapped their usual gear for Senegalese wrestling attire, which consists of a loincloth and a bare chest.

A Senegalese wrestling star named Emile Francois Gomis helped the Swiss participants secure their clothing correctly. The wrestlers also participated in a mystical bath ritual and listened to traditional drumming and singing before the competition started. The competition featured two distinct styles of wrestling. In Switzerland, wrestlers practice Schwingen, where they wear thick sackcloth shorts and attempt to throw opponents to the ground by grabbing their shorts.

In Senegal, the sport known as laamb involves more distance between participants and the use of protective charms called gris-gris. During the first half of the event, the Senegalese wrestlers won their matches against the Swiss opponents. The participants later reversed roles, with the Senegalese wrestlers wearing burlap shorts to try the Swiss style of wrestling. During this round, the Swiss wrestlers won their matches.

The mayor of the municipality, Aboubacar Djamil Sane, described the meeting as a bridge between the raw power of Senegalese culture and the centuries-old history of Swiss sport.