WRESTLING IN OGBA LAND

By:
Ajukura, Fidelis O.
ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com
14th February, 2023

Wrestling in Ogba land refers to the wrestling peculiar to Ogba people. Wrestling is an age long sports or game that is found in almost every human society.

Wrestling is simply a sports in which two people try to, through the use of sheer strength throw or pin the other to the ground. In some culture, a competitor or wrestler may not need to be pinned to the ground before declaration of defeat is announced - once his legs are lifted off the ground, he's as good as defeated. With the impact of civilization or Westernization on our culture, many people especially, the younger ones no longer knows what constitutes a typical Ogba wrestling. As a result of this, many of them have lost the interest to participate in it. To understand Ogba wrestling, we shall consider some of its high points:

1. Ogba wrestling serve dual purpose; entertainment and show of strength. During wrestling seasons, only "men" or "warriors" appear in "Ogbo" (wrestling arena) to test their strength. Those who are not men enough (cowards) watch from the sideline and cheer up the participants.

2. Unlike other cultures where people challenge themselves based on weight, in Ogba land, challenge is based on age grades - only people of the same age grade challenge themselves.

3. Ogba wrestling is done at home and abroad. A champion in one village or town may go to another town to challenge the champion there.

4. The spirit or morale of wrestlers are kept high by the loud melody produced by the traditional musical instruments like; 'agbadi', ekre etc. Among all the instruments, the 'agbadi' (drum) is synonymous with wrestling. The 'agbadi' is believed to be both an enegizer and a healer. Whenever a wrestler faints as a result of the wrestling bout, he/she is brought before the agbadi to be revived by its deep and thunderous sound.

5. Ogba wrestling goes with a bold and graceful dance steps called 'iza'. Before a wrestler wrestles in the arena, he dances round in his wrestling regalia.

6. Age grade is central in Ogba wrestling. Every age grade has its champion and members are expected to challenge him in every wrestling season. In a situation where there is no challenger, he stays as champion.

Wrestling in Ogba land moves in an ascending order: it begins from the children and terminates in the oldest wrestling age grade. The appearance of the oldest wrestling age grade signals the end of the wrestling season. The reason is that after them (the age grade), there'll be no more age grade to wrestle.

7. Younger people can have different matches going on simultaneously in the arena while that of adults has to be not more than two matches at the same time.

8. Ogba wrestling forbid carrying or pulling down an opponent by the leg. 'Ogblor', a wrestling strategy where an opponent is manourvered and thrown to the ground is key in Ogba wrestling.

9. If an opponent is lifted off the ground such that his legs are seen flailing in the air, he is already defeated because even if his finger touches the ground he is defeated - this wrestling rule applies in Ekpeye land.

10. Pushing somebody till he/she falls down is not accepted.

11. A winner is always carried head high by his relatives, friends and supporters

Ogba wrestling is a very interesting event. The sound of the 'agbadi' alone draws everybody to the wrestling arena irrespective of whatever they are doing. Wrestling is one event that brings people together. Through wrestling, people become familiar with other communities since they have to go outside their communities to compete with others. Unfortunately, the Ogba wrestling is beginning to wane. Attention has shifted tremendously to Western type of wrestling. Today, people prefer watching foreign wrestling to our traditional wrestling. If reasonable innovations are introduced to the Ogba traditional wrestling, it can turn around the fortunes of Ogba land and Ogba people.