EDIRNE, Turkey (AP) 鈥 On a grass field slick with olive oil and steeped in tradition, hundreds of boys as young as 11 joined the ranks of Turkey鈥檚 most time-honored sporting event: the annual Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Championship.
Held every summer in the northwestern city of Edirne, the event is said to date back to the 14th century as a way of keeping the Ottoman Empire鈥檚 fighting men fit and ready for battle.
The sport, which is on UNESCO鈥檚 intangible cultural heritage list, sees wrestlers cover themselves in olive oil and try to press their opponent鈥檚 back to the ground to win the bout.
Alongside the men contesting, youngsters also don the iconic 鈥渒ispet鈥 leather trousers to embark on a slippery test of strength, skill and stamina under the scorching sun.
The boys are ranked in divisions based on age, height and build, with the youngest generally placed in the 鈥渕inik,鈥 or tiny, category. Under strict safety regulations, their matches are shorter and closely supervised.
Most young wrestlers train year-round at local clubs, often in towns where oil wrestling is passed down through generations.
While the youngest competitors aren鈥檛 wrestling for titles like 鈥渂aspehlivan,鈥 the grand champion of the men鈥檚 matches, their participation is no less significant as it is key to the continuity of a sport that holds deep cultural importance across Turkey.
This year鈥檚 contest 鈥 the 664th in its history 鈥 saw 36-year-old Orhan Okulu win his third men's title.
鈥淢y goal was the golden belt in Kirkpinar and thanks to my God, I succeeded,鈥 Okulu said of the coveted prize.
