by The first strikes in Dambe are thrown before the boxers leave their house.
Fighters Don Charms and Amulets, color their fist or even evaluate their arm with a razor by inserting traditional medicine before they guarantee scarred alle to protect them in the ring or to deliver a knock-out beat.
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In combination with prayers from “Mallams” or spiritual leaders, they can no longer be stopped – not only in Nigeria, but increasingly all over the world.
The Dambe World Series began in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, recently in the recent development of a sport that traces its roots for centuries among the Hausa speakers.
“Instead of trying to communicate, or instead of trying to do something else, the goal for us is to professionally professional,” said Maxwell Kalu, founder of the African Warriors Fight Championship, the group that organized the tournament.
At the same time, it is also a main goal to “open the door to invite people to participate in Nigeria”.
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The tournament is held on site of the nation stadium and broadcast from DAZN, a British sports power service. It is far from the social tradition organized by Hausa butchers of the 10th century.
“This is big, I’m very happy,” said Abdullahi “Coronavirus” Ali, a 20-year-old who has been fighting since his child. “The audience grows every day.”
When Coronavirus-Spitzname spoke for his wild strokes with AFP, two amateur fighters worked behind the ring in an exhibition game before the tournament in Dei, a Abuja-Exurb by Dei dei.
Chickens picked under the rickety wooden stands, while the cigarette smoke blew over the crowd.
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In Dambe, the fighters have tied a fist firmly in the rope instead of a glove – their beating arm. The other hand stretches out the hand, feels the space between the opponents and looks for something to grab or parry before the fighting arm whips forward like from a loaded pen.
In the middle of the blows, a fighter lost his balance and fell – a “kill”. The round was over.
– domestic, international expansion –
Dambe seemed to be intended to be limited to the edges in places like dei dei as a Abujas elite, which paved in the way of modern skyscrapers and highways.
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The government is slowly interested in preserving and promoting sport, as well as private groups such as the AWFC.
With the advent of YouTube and Instagram, Dambe is now attracting fans around the world, with a promoter 2017 BBC tells that 60 percent of his spectators were outside of Nigeria.
Sport has also grown at home.
In 2018, a Dambe match in the southern city of Lagos drew the audience about the pastime of their northern compatriots – and was enthusiastic about seeing it in a real stadium.
Last month, athletes from the entire continent came from the megasty for the African knockout championship, a mixed martial art tournament in a western style.
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But Kalu imagines the opposite: foreigners set off to experience a clearly Nigerian way of fighting.
Professionalization also offers the option of introducing security protocols and stable salaries in the otherwise non -regulated sport.
“If I get married, I will not allow my children to do it,” said Usman Abubakar, 20, his fist colored a dark henna color and an arm with enchanting scars and remembered an injury to his chest that exit him for two years.
– Foreigners welcome –
The fighters of the youngest tournament competed for Nigeria in a multi -stage international series.
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Boxers went to a sand -filled ring under stadium lights, with musical acts and commercial breaks.
“Coronavirus” and his opponent danced around each other and welded glitter and looked for an opening. He landed a blow and sent a tense crowd into cheers when the spectators overcame their urge to flinch with common pain.
“It’s kind of scary, but I enjoy it,” said Joy Beatrice, a 30-year-old forestry officer in the stands.
Last year, British Nationale Luke Leyland from Liverpool traveled to take part in a Dambe -Match – supposedly the first white fighter to ever do this.
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According to a local media report, he was “destroyed”, although he wrote positively about experience.
Nigerian fighters remain cool about the idea of sharing the prey of the victory.
When asked what would happen if non-Nigerians started with the competition, “Coronavirus”, Abubakar and a third fighter, Anas Hamisu, were all excited about the prospect that more people accept their sport.
But they all shared the same prediction: the Nigerians would win.
NRO/GV
