Camel wrestling: A sport that originated 2500 years back! 

Have you ever had the opportunity to go on a desert safari? If yes, you would know that the main attraction there is a caravan of camels. Camels never come across as violent creatures. Rather, they look quite innocent. But what if we told you that they can be really aggressive ahead of mating. In fact, male camels are naturally combative prior to reproducing and often have face offs with other male camels.  

What happens when they are in shelters? Do they give up on their combative nature? Not at all! Rather, a sporting event is organised around this particular trait. It is called camel wrestling and it is more than what it sounds like.  

Camel wrestling: A bird’s eye view 
Camel wrestling is a combative sport wherein two male camels, especially that of Tulu species (hybrid of dromedary or one humped camels and Bactrian or two-humped camels) are made to wrestle in response to the mating call of a female camel (when in heat or prime of their reproductive cycle). This happens in a specially built sand and fenced arena and the camels usually wear colourful gears to protect themselves from each other’s bite. Who knew they are capable of that too!) Interestingly, the camels fight using their necks.  Whoever wins and earns the favour of the female camel is married off to her. Interestingly, the winning moment is ascertained when either knocks down the other or forces it to run away – much like Spanish bullfighting. The competitive sport is most popular in the Aegean region, west of Turkey and can also be seen in Middle East and South Asia. The camels are however mostly bred in Iran and Afghanistan. Sometimes after the mating, the winning camel is often sold off for whooping prices such as 20000 dollars.  

History and evolution of the sport 
Historians suggest that camel wrestling originated more than 2500 years ago among ancient Turkish tribes, who were primarily nomads and often preferred camels as their companions while travelling across arid parts of Asia (Silk Route). It is presumed that the nomadic people were encouraged to try out this purely recreational activity when they realised the combative nature of camels.  

While the sport continues till date, it isn’t officially recognised. However, since the 1920s, the Turkish National Aviation League has held camel wrestling as fundraisers for different socio-economic causes wherein affluent people invested for the sake of entertainment. Maybe that’s why this is often regarded as a ‘rich man’s sport’. In fact, unusual prizes such as machine-made embroidered rugs and jewels are often given as rewards. Today, around thirty games are held annually during winters (it’s the mating season of camels) from November to March in different parts of Turkey. Thousands of people gather to watch the competitive sport live. Nearly a hundred camels participate, each getting a chance at least two to ten times.  

The Selcuk Efes Camel Wrestling Festival is the most popular camel wrestling festival of all time. It has been happening for the past 40 years. Apart from the sport, the festival also has folk dances and music, feasts and bonfires on the sides of the arena.