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A Senegalese wrestling match between Mame Balla and Pape Mor Lô during the World African Wrestling world tour in Paris Bercy. This type of folk wrestling is traditionally practiced by the Serer people of Senegal and part of the larger West African form of traditional wrestling, the only such tradition to allow blows with the hands. In this form of wrestling, fighters attempt to throw their opponents to the ground by lifting them up and over, usually outside a given area.
Originating as a preparatory exercise among Serer warriors, this form of wrestling is known as njom in Serer; the term is from the Serer principle of Jom and means heart or honor. The sport is a national sport in Senegal and parts of The Gambia.Photograph: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin