Beach wrestling makes its debut

Wrestling
Leandrea mouers
  • 15 Hours Ago
The Swakopmund Wrestling Club hosted the country’s first-ever official beach wrestling competition on Saturday at the Swakopmund Mole.

The event drew close to 50 wrestlers from across the country.

Coach Gabriel Gurirab from the Swakopmund Wrestling Academy shared that wrestlers came from Swakopmund, Windhoek, Stampriet, Rundu and Otjiwarongo. He described it as a “historic moment” for Namibian wrestling.

“Our academy, founded in 2019, served as host for this very first event. Our community faces various social challenges, and we believe sports can unite people and help us move forward as a nation.

“Wrestling has brought together athletes from all corners of Namibia, creating a positive space for youth development and discipline.”

Beach wrestling, a relatively new global discipline, has its roots in traditional wrestling forms practiced in northern Africa. It gained official recognition only three years ago and is rapidly becoming more popular internationally due to its accessibility and spectator-friendly nature.

“I was a mixed-style wrestler myself, and this format brings the sport outdoors, makes it more accessible to spectators, and creates new promotional opportunities for wrestling in Namibia,” coach Gurirab added.

He also reckons more beach wrestling events can be expected in the future.

“With the push from the United World Wrestling Union to develop beach wrestling, we plan to host two to three competitions per year going forward.”

Namibia has previously sent representatives to beach wrestling competitions abroad, but the president of the Namibian Wrestling Federation, Colin Steytler, confirmed this was the first time local wrestlers competed on an actual beach.

“In Windhoek, we have a sand court, but it’s not the same. Being next to the ocean makes this a special occasion.”

He acknowledged that there were logistical challenges typical of a first-time event, but he described the overall turnout and competition level as highly successful.

Wrestlers were able to compete in multiple matches, with organizers ensuring each athlete had at least three to five bouts on the sand.

Clubs from around the country have already begun incorporating beach wrestling sessions into their training programs.

“Beach wrestling is the future. Just like beach volleyball transformed the sport of volleyball, we believe beach wrestling will become one of the most exciting ways to experience wrestling.”

The deputy minister of sport, Dino Ballotti, was a guest of honour at the beach wrestling as well as the finish and prize-giving of the Nedbank Desert Dash cycling race on Saturday. He also supported futsal matches at MTC The Dome earlier in the morning.