Best Travel Guide To Tribal Wrestling In South Sudan

Best Travel Guide To Tribal Wrestling In South Sudan

Wrestling is taken very seriously in South Sudan. Locals from all different ethnicities, often even rival ones, participate in the numerous tournaments organized throughout the country. The sport is particularly popular in the city of Bor in the southeastern part of the country, where wrestling events are organized every weekend.

Wrestling is a popular sport among South Sudan’s dozens of ethnic groups and has long been a way for young men to test their strength without resorting to bloody violence. An estimated two hundred thousand (200,000) people turn up for cultural wrestling in Bor depicting the stronghold of Dinka preserved norms in 21st-century generations.

Cultural entertainment had been halted by South Sudan’s civil wars, In Dinka Bor culture, wrestling is practiced by males from childhood and the pyramid narrows with age. The weekend wrestling takes place at Wun-cuei (4 miles north of Bor Town).

The competition attracts people of all ages, varying social, economic, and political status, tribes as well as non-citizens to Wun-cuei. Dinka Bor citizens travel to the State capital Bor Town from ends as far as Juba, Yei, Kaya, and Nimule.

Those crippled by resources attend the competition live on phones. Cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and thousands of pedestrians start matching to the site as early as 2:00 a.m. to secure suitable positions to witness the wrestling events.

Two men are drawn against each other in a wrestling contest. The giants dance barefoot in circles, strips of leopard print skirt flapping, before one lunges in to topple his opponent and thump him down on the grass.

Dust covers the sky during dancing forming thin clouds. Girls dress in traditional attires, smearing red sand (locally known as wan) on their faces and arms, and wear traditional beads around their waist. Wrestling men wear leopard skin, and national flag(s).

The energetic men and women sing traditional songs of courage and superiority; jump over long distances in excitement and above all display the best-colored bulls. This is where men choose beautiful girls who in turn figure out the best-performing men.

The competition, however, is at a confluence of modernity and pure traditions. Wrestlers, unlike in the past, have taken up other jobs in the society. Wrestlers did not do any other jobs in the past apart from remaining in cattle camps and representing their clans in strength. Unlike today’s sports, entry to the wrestling site on the other hand is free of charge.

Tens of cattle die during the pre-competition days to step up fattening in young men. More cattle are slaughtered on wrestling day for celebration on both sides.

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