Evala: Wrestling and the Journey into Adulthood

Among the Kabye people of northern Togo, Evala reflects a different relationship between wrestling and society.

While Laamb has become a professional sport and Kokawa increasingly features organized competition, Evala remains closely connected to cultural initiation ceremonies marking the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Each year, young men participate in a week-long series of wrestling contests accompanied by family gatherings, traditional rituals, music and communal celebrations. Victory is respected, but participation itself carries profound social significance. Wrestlers demonstrate courage, discipline, endurance and commitment to their community while preparing for adult responsibilities.

Families, elders and entire villages actively support participants throughout the ceremonies, reinforcing the idea that wrestling belongs to the community rather than the individual athlete.

The festivals also attract visitors from across Togo and neighbouring countries, contributing to local tourism and supporting businesses ranging from transport operators and guesthouses to food vendors and craftspeople. In this way, Evala demonstrates that cultural heritage can generate economic opportunities while retaining its traditional meaning.

Unlike professional wrestling circuits elsewhere, however, Evala has deliberately remained rooted in its ceremonial function. Its primary purpose is not entertainment or commercial success but the preservation of Kabye identity and cultural continuity.

The tradition reflects a wider truth shared across West Africa. Whether organized as a national championship in Niger, a professional spectacle in Senegal or an initiation ceremony in northern Togo, traditional wrestling continues to serve as a powerful vehicle for transmitting values, strengthening communities and preserving history through sport.

These different paths of development illustrate the remarkable adaptability of West African wrestling. While each tradition has responded differently to modernization, all continue to demonstrate that indigenous sport can evolve without losing the cultural foundations that have sustained it for centuries.

From Village Arenas to Modern Championships

For generations, traditional wrestling was organized at the community level, with elders, traditional rulers and local leaders overseeing contests during festivals, harvest celebrations and cultural ceremonies. These gatherings were more than displays of physical strength; they reinforced community identity, resolved rivalries peacefully and preserved customs that had been passed down through generations.

Dr. Bashir Ahmad Mezare, Secretary of the Kano State Sports Commission, says traditional wrestling existed long before Nigeria developed formal sporting institutions.

“Traditional wrestling existed long before foreign sports arrived. Communities organized competitions during traditional and religious festivals.”

Across present-day Nigeria, different regions developed their own indigenous sporting traditions. Northern communities became widely associated with Kokawa and Dambe, while other parts of the country practiced games such as Ayo, Abula and a variety of local athletic contests. Competitions were organized through provinces and emirates rather than modern state structures.

“There were no states then only provinces like Kano, Zaria and Bauchi.”

As governments gradually established national sporting institutions after independence, traditional wrestling began its transition from community festivals to organized competition. Dr. Mezare explains that indigenous sports were formally incorporated into Nigeria’s sporting structure in the early 1990s.

“Traditional wrestling and other indigenous sports became part of the Sports Federation around 1990–1991.”

That institutional recognition marked an important turning point. While traditional wrestling remained deeply rooted in local customs, organized championships, standardized rules and formal coaching systems created new opportunities for athletes to compete beyond their communities.

Coach Aliyu Salihu believes this evolution has strengthened rather than weakened the sport.

“Every community had its own traditions and rules. Over time, they evolved into the modern form of wrestling.”

Today, wrestlers increasingly combine traditional techniques with modern strength and conditioning programmes, sports science and structured coaching. National championships, regional competitions and ECOWAS tournaments have expanded opportunities for athletes while preserving the cultural values that distinguish traditional wrestling from other combat sports.

The journey from village festivals to organised championships demonstrates the resilience of indigenous sport. Rather than disappearing in the face of modernisation, traditional wrestling has adapted to changing times while remaining firmly connected to its cultural roots.

The Communities Behind the Tradition

Traditional wrestling endures because of the communities that continue to sustain it. Beyond the athletes themselves, coaches, referees, musicians, praise singers, traditional rulers, organizers, families and local businesses all contribute to preserving the sport’s rich cultural heritage.

For Coach Aliyu Salihu, coaching extends far beyond producing champions.

“We guide young people so they understand the opportunities the sport can offer.”

Having progressed from wrestler to national coach, he believes traditional wrestling provides valuable life lessons alongside athletic development.

Young athletes learn discipline, patience, teamwork and resilience while representing their communities with pride. Many also develop leadership skills through mentoring younger wrestlers, ensuring that techniques and traditions continue to be passed from one generation to the next.

Families remain equally important. Parents often encourage young wrestlers while elders preserve ceremonial customs surrounding competitions. During festivals, musicians, drummers and praise singers create the atmosphere that transforms a sporting contest into a cultural celebration.

Local businesses also play a vital role. Vendors selling food and drinks, artisans producing traditional clothing and ceremonial equipment, photographers documenting events and transport operators serving visiting spectators all benefit from wrestling festivals. Their livelihoods are closely connected to the continued success of these community events.

Although wrestlers compete individually, every victory reflects the collective effort of an entire community.

Regional Competitions and Cross-Border Connections

While traditional wrestling is deeply rooted in local cultures, it also reflects the shared historical connections that unite West Africa.

Regional tournaments involving Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Togo and other ECOWAS member states provide opportunities for athletes to compete internationally while exchanging techniques and strengthening cultural ties that existed long before modern borders were established.

Coach Aliyu Salihu believes these competitions have significantly raised the profile of the sport.

“We compete at the National Sports Festival, NAFEST and ECOWAS championships.”

These tournaments expose wrestlers to different competitive styles and coaching methods while allowing each country to showcase its unique wrestling traditions.

Athletes who compete internationally often return home with new techniques, improved training methods and broader perspectives, helping to modernize local wrestling programmes without abandoning traditional principles.

Salihu points to Nigeria’s recent achievements as evidence of the sport’s continued development.

“At the ECOWAS tournament in The Gambia, Nigeria finished second overall.”

Beyond medals and trophies, regional competitions reinforce a shared cultural identity. They remind participants that despite differences in language, customs and wrestling styles, traditional wrestling remains one of West Africa’s oldest and most enduring cultural connections.

Protecting Tradition: Government and Institutional Support

As traditional wrestling has evolved from village arenas into organized competition, governments, sporting federations and cultural institutions have assumed an increasingly important role in preserving and promoting the sport.

In Nigeria, Kokawa remains deeply rooted in northern communities, but coaches and administrators agree that its long-term sustainability will depend upon stronger investment in training facilities, youth development, athlete welfare and regular competitions.

Coach Aliyu Salihu believes coaches play a central role in preserving the sport’s traditions while preparing future generations.

“We guide the younger generation and help them understand what they can achieve through the sport.”

He argues that increased sponsorship and public investment would allow talented wrestlers to progress from local competitions to national and international championships while encouraging greater youth participation.

Across West Africa, governments have adopted different approaches to preserving traditional wrestling.

Senegal has successfully integrated Laamb into the country’s professional sporting landscape through structured governance, athlete management, television broadcasting and corporate sponsorship. Niger continues to strengthen its national identity through the annual Sabre National championship, while Togo protects Evala as an important cultural institution closely linked to Kabye traditions.

Beyond ministries responsible for sport, cultural institutions, universities, museums and historians have increasingly recognized traditional wrestling as part of West Africa’s intangible cultural heritage. Researchers are documenting indigenous sporting traditions, while cultural festivals provide opportunities to showcase wrestling alongside music, dance and oral history.

These initiatives demonstrate that preserving traditional wrestling extends beyond organizing competitions. It also involves protecting the stories, rituals, languages and cultural practices that give the sport its deeper meaning.

The challenge for governments is therefore twofold: expanding opportunities for athletes while ensuring that commercial growth never overshadows the traditions that have sustained wrestling for centuries.

The Economic Value of Traditional Wrestling

Traditional wrestling contributes far more to West African societies than sporting achievement alone. Across the region, tournaments and cultural festivals generate economic activity that benefits both local communities and national economies.

Major competitions attract thousands of spectators, creating demand for hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, transport services and local markets. Visitors travelling from neighbouring towns and countries often extend their stays, increasing tourism revenue during major wrestling festivals.

At the community level, wrestling supports numerous small businesses. Food vendors, artisans, traditional cloth makers, blacksmiths, drum makers, photographers, event decorators and musicians all depend on wrestling festivals as important sources of seasonal income.

As the sport has become increasingly organized, additional employment opportunities have emerged for coaches, referees, sports administrators, broadcasters, commentators, security personnel, medical teams and event organizers.

Commercialisation has further expanded these opportunities. Sponsorship agreements, advertising partnerships, broadcasting rights and prize money now generate significant revenue, particularly in countries such as Senegal where professional wrestling has become a thriving entertainment industry.

Media coverage has also transformed the sport’s economic potential. Television broadcasts, online streaming and social media have introduced traditional wrestling to wider audiences across Africa and among diaspora communities, attracting new sponsors while helping preserve interest among younger generations.

For many athletes, wrestling has become a pathway to education, employment and international exposure. Success in national and regional competitions can lead to scholarships, coaching careers and opportunities to represent their countries abroad.

Traditional wrestling therefore demonstrates that cultural preservation and economic development are not opposing goals. When supported by thoughtful investment, indigenous sporting traditions can strengthen local economies, promote tourism and create sustainable livelihoods while preserving the cultural heritage that makes them unique.

A New Generation and the Future of Traditional Wrestling

Across West Africa, a new generation of wrestlers is shaping the future of one of the continent’s oldest sporting traditions. While they continue to learn techniques passed down by elders and coaches, many are also embracing modern training methods, sports science and opportunities created by organized competition.

For 22-year-old Oniobu Harry Sene from Ofoni in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, traditional wrestling represents both cultural heritage and a pathway to personal opportunity. He began competing in 2021 after mentor Koripamio Opia Sunde encouraged him to channel his fighting ability into organized sport.

“Instead of fighting in the streets, why not turn it into sport?”

The advice changed his life.

Today, Sene competes in both traditional wrestling and Olympic-style freestyle wrestling, believing the two disciplines complement rather than replace one another.

“It allows you to travel, meet people and access opportunities you might never have otherwise.”

Growing up, he watched wrestling remain an important part of community ceremonies in Bayelsa, where champions were celebrated not only for their victories but also for the discipline and respect they displayed. Becoming the first wrestler from Ofoni to progress into organized competition has strengthened his determination to inspire others.

“I hope we’ll produce more champions from our community.”

Like Coach Aliyu Salihu, Sene believes success depends less on physical size than on discipline, technique and consistent training.

“Without skill, someone smaller can defeat a stronger opponent.”

His experience also reflects the growing diversity of traditional wrestling today. Increasingly, young athletes move between indigenous wrestling competitions and international freestyle or Greco-Roman wrestling, bringing new ideas and training methods back to their communities while remaining proud of their cultural roots.

Yet Sene believes much more must be done to support the next generation.

“If you’re injured during competition, you’re treated there, but once you return home, you’re on your own.”

After helping Nigeria finish second at the ECOWAS Traditional Wrestling Championship in The Gambia, he says regular competitions are essential for developing athletes.

“We need more competitions. They make a real difference.”

His story reflects the aspirations of many young wrestlers across West Africa—athletes who want to preserve their cultural traditions while pursuing opportunities that previous generations rarely enjoyed.

Challenges in Protecting a Changing Tradition

Despite its resilience and growing recognition, traditional wrestling faces significant challenges as it adapts to a rapidly changing sporting landscape.

Limited funding remains one of the greatest obstacles. Many wrestling communities still lack adequate training facilities, professional coaching, medical support, athlete insurance and structured development programmes. Outside major competitions, many wrestlers continue to finance their own training and travel with limited institutional assistance.

Competition from globally popular sports also presents new pressures. Football, basketball, athletics and mixed martial arts attract substantial sponsorship, media attention and commercial investment, making it increasingly difficult for indigenous sports to compete for audiences, funding and talented young athletes.

Urbanization has added another challenge. As more young people move from rural communities to towns and cities, participation in traditional festivals has declined in some areas, reducing opportunities for elders to pass wrestling customs directly to younger generations. At the same time, changing lifestyles and digital entertainment compete for the attention of youth who might otherwise have been introduced to traditional sports through community celebrations.

Coach Aliyu Salihu believes Kokawa’s lower public profile compared with Dambe reflects changing patterns of investment rather than historical importance.

“Kokawa came before Dambe and was once more popular. But with limited sponsorship and changing times, Dambe became more established.”

He argues that Kokawa’s competitive reach remains significant.

“Across Nigeria, Africa and international championships, Kokawa has a wider reach.”

Salihu also emphasises the distinction between the two sports.

“Dambe is traditional boxing. Kokawa is about bringing your opponent to the ground using technique, without punching or kicking.”

At the same time, commercialisation presents both opportunities and risks. Television coverage, sponsorship and digital media can attract new audiences and generate income for athletes, organizers and local communities. However, cultural custodians warn that excessive commercial pressure could reduce ceremonies, rituals and community participation to mere entertainment if not carefully managed.

Across the region, the challenge is therefore not simply to preserve traditional wrestling but to ensure that modernisation strengthens rather than replaces the cultural values that give the sport its meaning.

A Living Heritage

From the wrestling grounds of Kano and Niamey to the packed arenas of Dakar and the initiation festivals of northern Togo, traditional wrestling continues to demonstrate the remarkable resilience of West Africa’s cultural heritage.

Whether known as Kokawa, Laamb, Lutte Traditionnelle, Evala or by other indigenous names across Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin and beyond, the sport remains far more than a contest of physical strength. It is a living archive of history, identity, language, music and community values passed from one generation to the next.

Each tradition has followed its own path. Senegal has shown how indigenous wrestling can become a successful professional sport without abandoning its cultural identity. Niger has demonstrated the power of organised national competition to strengthen unity and pride. Togo continues to preserve wrestling as a rite of passage, while Nigeria and other countries are working to expand opportunities through coaching, regional tournaments and institutional support.

Together, these experiences reveal that traditional wrestling is not a relic of the past but a living tradition capable of adapting to modern realities while remaining rooted in its cultural foundations.

For Coach Aliyu Salihu, the future lies in creating greater opportunities for young athletes without losing sight of the values that have sustained the sport for centuries. His journey from watching village competitions in Kano as a child to leading Nigeria’s traditional wrestling team, shows how knowledge, discipline and cultural pride continue to pass from one generation to the next.

The future of traditional wrestling will depend on sustained investment in athlete welfare, coaching, education, media visibility and community-based competitions. Governments, sporting federations, cultural institutions, researchers and private sponsors all have a role to play in ensuring that the sport remains both culturally authentic and economically sustainable.

More importantly, traditional wrestling offers a broader lesson about cultural preservation in a rapidly changing world. It shows that heritage does not survive by remaining unchanged; it survives by adapting while holding fast to the values that define it.

As West Africa continues to modernize, traditional wrestling stands as proof that indigenous knowledge, community traditions and cultural identity can thrive alongside contemporary sport. The cheers rising from village arenas and national stadiums alike are more than celebrations of victory they are affirmations that one of West Africa’s oldest traditions continues to inspire new generations while preserving a shared heritage for the future.