“The Tourism Product i want to talk about this week is an indigenous sport, although different versions of the sport, has existed throughout the world,” says Tourism icon Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye.
“And this sport, is what Yorubas know as gídígbò. The Igbos know it as Mgba and the Hausa know it as Kokowa.
He noted that many other ethnic groups in Nigeria also have local wrestling as a sport and during their individual wrestling competitions, the culture of these groups are in full display .
In Yoruba tradition, the spiritual discipline of Ifa includes a martial art called either gidigbo, aki or akin. The word gidigbo loosely translates to ‘let’s fight’. The word aki means bravery and the word akin means brave man. In simple terms aki is the goal, gidigbo is the discipline and akin is personal transformation that comes through the discipline of studying the art (of wrestling) .
In traditional Yoruba culture, gidigbo wrestling matches are often staged in honor of Ogun the Yoruba god of Iron and War who is also known as Oggún in Cuba and Ogun Feraille in Haiti .
A giant circle is drawn and the participants enter the circle where they toss each other to the ground. Spectators surround the circle and cheer on competitors. When the wrestlers hit the ground then the fight is over. Meanwhile they are required not to step out of the circle until there is only one man standing.
When the winner emerges, the village Oba enters the circle and the winner of the competition takes a fall to symbolize the superiority of the influence of the Oba on the spiritual well-being of the community.
Traditional wrestling is a very popular sport amongst the Igbo. In Igbo land, a man is believed to prove his physical strength when he is able to fight off his aggressors. Wrestling therefore shows strength and courage with young men competing in traditional wrestling competitions known as Igba Mgba.
Wrestling matches take place in rings filled with sand to cushion falls . A flute boy is present to provide special tunes that stir the heart and give added strength to the weak.
Spectators cheer the wrestlers on and encourage them in a manner similar to what is seen in the professional wrestling matches held in the USA . Winners are given money or goods .
In Hausa culture, wrestling or Kokawa competitions are used as a means for men to qualify for marriage. The men compete and only the strongest man is allowed to marry.
The whole community participates in these matches with a spirit of conviviality before, during and after, giving it a playful, cultural and religious significance. Famous wrestlers nomadize from village to village accompanied by musicians, and marabouts to fight after the harvest.
Otunba Akinboboye is of the view that tourists will be excited to attend local wrestling tournaments particularly if they are organized in a manner that encourages people to watch and actively support individual wrestlers.
He pointed to the popularity of professional wrestling in the United States. He observed that it attracts a core of dedicated fans, despite the fact that it was actually a form of athletic theatre that combined mock combat with drama under the premise that performers are competitive wrestlers.
Although the matches contain elements of sports wrestling and martial arts, as well as genuine displays of athleticism and physicality before live audiences, it is an open secret that matches have scripted outcomes and emphasize entertainment and showmanship.
Otunba Akinboboye revealed that, in 2022, World Wrestling Entertainment, which is the most popular professional wrestling company in the world, generated revenue of US $ 1.3 billion, the vast majority of which was derived from its operations in North America.
Otunba Akinboboye noted that the company’s revenue streams were driven by ticketed live events as well as the extensive broadcast of its flagship weekly media programmes.
Otunba Akinboboye believed that Nigerians should take advantage of their advantages by promoting and presenting the traditional wrestling of different tribes of Nigeria.
He also felt that, as had been done in the USA, private entrepreneurs could put together leagues that would hold matches that could be televised for the entertainment of viewers in Nigeria and elsewhere .
After all, as we had found from football, sport is a unifying factor in Nigeria. Consequently the development of a national league of an indigenous sport like traditional wrestling would go a long way to unifying Nigerians, who would support individual wrestlers based on their ability and showmanship rather than ethnicity.
Otunba Akinboboye then referred to the fact that Dambe, which is a traditional form of boxing among the Hausa, is currently being shown on You Tube,
Two young Nigerian entrepreneurs are posting content relating to Dambe matches held in towns and villages in Northern Nigeria on You Tube under the name ‘Dambe Warriors’ .
As at the 6th of August 2024 Dambe Warriors had 196,000 subscribers and had released 818 videos. By 2019, it’s content had been viewed by 24 million people over 60% of whom were from outside Nigeria. This content is enjoyed by enthusiasts in countries from the Philippines, Thailand and Brazil, to Indonesia and the US.
It is pleasing to mention that the entrepreneurs behind Dambe Warriors incentivize the fighters who participate in the matches that form their content. These fighters now earn significantly more than they would have earned in their regular matches.
Otunba Akinboboye concluded by saying that sport watchers who grew up watching American wrestling and avidly supported wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, Dwayne Johnson John Cenna and Rhonda Rousey will definitely enjoy watching traditional wrestling particularly if it is properly presented.
He said that he looks forward to a time, that gidigbo will become one of Nigeria’s tourism offerings.
