South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
Thousands of wrestling fans gathered in Yirol Town, Lakes State, on Saturday to witness the launch of a wrestling tournament for peace.
The competition, which will run for two weeks, was organised by the Yirol West Wrestling Association in collaboration with the Lakes State Minister for Culture, Youth, and Sports.
The wrestling aims to promote a culture of peace, unity, and reconciliation among the communities of Yirol West.
The event will bring together 15 strong and giant wrestlers from nine Payams of Yirol West.
The opening match was played between Mapuordit and Benyloom Payam, ending 5:1 in favour of Mapuordit. Betoi also defeated Aluakluak by 6 to 3.
The event attracted thousands of spectators, including government officials who were treated to a spectacle of giant wrestlers.
William Koji Kirjok, Lakes State Minister for Culture, Youth, and Sports, said the wrestling competition is intended to serve as a unifying factor that brings people together to strengthen social cohesion and promote peace.
“The government of the state does implement the directive of the president. Two years ago, General Salva Mayardit directed all the governors to use this sport as a means of promoting peace,” Koji told SSBC on Saturday.
He stated that the state leadership, under the guidance of Gen. Rin Tueng Mabor, has a strong belief that the wrestling competition has the potential to unite people.
“And of course, in the state for the last four years, we have been using this sport as one of the activities for promoting peace,” he said.
Wrestling is a very popular sport among the Dinka, Mundari, and Lotuko communities.
The sport is seen as an avenue for bringing warring communities to coexist in peace.
The Mundari, Dinka, and other Nilotic tribes are cattle-oriented and practice wrestling as part of their culture and tradition.
They have seasonal initiation ceremonies, a rite of passage to adulthood in which they conduct activities like wrestling, stick fighting, and facial scarification on their foreheads.
These ethnic tribes still want to maintain their culture around the world, showcasing their traditional customs in spite of the ongoing conflict.
The wrestlers wore flapping leopard-print skirts and ostrich feathers on their heads.
