given area. Training Senegalese wrestlers train extremely hard and may perform press ups and various difficult physical exercises throughout the day to build up their strength. However, while they believe strength is important they also believe that there is an element of luck in the winner, and may perform rituals before a match to increase their chances. Common to Senegalese wrestlers is rubbing a foot on a stone or rubbing themselves with lotions or oils to increase "good luck". Senegalese wrestlers, youth in specific, struggle with dropping out of school to pursue wrestling as well, prompting notable names in the sport to speak out against the issue saying their education is more important. Media In April 2008 a BBC documentary entitled Last Man Standing covered the lives of a group of British and American hopefuls at a boot camp in Senegal who took on Senegalese opponents. Laamb was featured in the 2005 film L'Appel des arènes (English title Wrestling Grounds). The documentary Laamb directed by Kristoffer Hegnsvad follows young wrestlers in Dakar during a major tournament, the film was narrated by Jørgen Leth and premiered at Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival - CPH:DOX in 2013. Etymology Laamb is the Wolof word for wrestling which is borrowed from Serer Fara-Lamb Siin. The Serer word for wrestling is njom which derives from the Serer word jom (heart or honour). Champions Since the 1950s, Senegalese Wrestling, like its counterparts in other areas of West Africa, has become a major spectator sport and cultural event. The champions of traditional wrestling events are celebrities in Senegal, with fighters such as Balla Gaye 2, Yékini (Yakhya Diop), Tyson (Mohamed Ndao), and Bombardier (Serigne Ousmane Dia) the best known. Pathe Mbeurou Askanewi Boye, also known as Big Pato, is the first ever Senegalese wrestler who is also a police officer. References Bibliography Senghor, Léopold Sédar, Brunel, Pierre, "Poésie complète," CNRS éditions, 2007, Tang, Patricia, Masters of the sabar: Wolof griot percussionists of Senegal, p144. Temple University Press, 2007. Gravrand, Henry : "L’HERITAGE SPIRITUEL SEREER : VALEUR TRADITIONNELLE D’HIER, D’AUJOURD’HUI ET DE DEMAIN" [in] Ethiopiques, numéro 31, révue socialiste de culture négro-africaine, 3e trimestre 1982 Gravrand, Henry, "La Civilisation Sereer, Pangool.'"' Les Nouvelles Edition Africaines. 1990. Diouf, Niokhobaye. "Chronique du royaume du Sine." Suivie de notes sur les traditions orales et les sources écrites concernant le royaume du Sine par Charles Becker et Victor Martin. (1972). Bulletin de