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At Kampala, capital city of the Republic of Uganda, in the oldest gym of the city, boxing is a male prerogative. Since a few years, however, a group of young girls coming from the streets has started to train and to practice wrestling among the amazement and the respect of their male collegues.
In time, the desire of emancipation of this group gave birth to the ‘Blackpower female wrestling club’ and more recently to the Female Wrestling National Team.

Wrestling is one of the most popular sports in the world; in Uganda it has just shown up but it is gathering a big success with the younger generations.

The ‘Blackpower female wrestling club’ started in 2007 with the intent to bring young girls towards this antique discipline.

Ayo Teddy, the project manager, started the club with four girls. Today it counts over fifteen athletes. She points out that this sport makes possible to get girls away from the street and make them feel more responsible and empowered thanks to their newfound talent.

The gym is attended by ex-prostitutes, young unmarried mothers and especially girls who have suffered sexual violences. Thanks to the club they find a new meaning in their life and they can reintegrate into society.

Sport is essential, says Ayo Teddy, not only for the well-being and to prevent drugs and alchool abuse; it also helps to increase the self-discipline and self-esteem while decreasing the anti-social feeling of the younger generations.
Practicing wrestling at the ‘Blackpower club’ helps preventing young women to join illegal activities and live in awful conditions on the street, and as the enrollments are growing, it seems that the project is working very well.

© Marco Garofalo/2007