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Isabelle Sambou, the female wrestler defying gender norms in Senegal

Isabelle Sambou, the female wrestler defying gender norms in Senegal

MARIA KNODT, BIRD STORY AGENCY IN one of the training rooms at the lower level of the Senegal National Arena in Dakar, four men are warming up. They are waiting for their coach, who will train them in freestyle wrestling techniques. Moments later, 42-year-old Isabelle Sambou walks in. Standing just 152 centimetres (five feet) tall, Isabelle Sambou is a nine-time African Wrestling Championship gold medalist. And in 2015, she was crowned African Wrestler of the Decade by the World Wrestling Association. "She is the best and so humble. We come from far away to learn from her," said Demba Seck,…
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