Turkish oil wrestling

> A sport to satisfy the female gaze

Rebecca Peterson
Staff Writer

 

| oon does it make you
uncomfortable when you

see guys watching women’s
volleyball tournaments for the
sole purpose of watching women
bounce around in booty shorts?
Personally I find it a little galling
that while skimpy shorts are
mandatory for women’s teams,
men are not held to the same
standards. Would I watch a men’s
volleyball tournament if they were
all in booty shorts? Absolutely,
and gladly.

As, | imagine, many others
would. In the meantime, there’s
oil wrestling. What is oil wrestling,
you might ask? It’s exactly what
it sounds like. Wrestling, with
copious amounts of olive oil
applied to the wrestlers. It’s the
Turkish national sport, no less.

So already, you might imagine
a bunch of greased-up, shirtless

men wrestling, and you might be
thinking, “No way.’ Way. And it
gets even better.

In classic wrestling (which
I don't watch, aside from with
casual interest in bars while
waiting for my chicken wings
to arrive), you win by holding
down your opponent for a certain
amount of time. Not so in oil
wrestling. Not so at all.

The wrestlers are required to
wear a loose style of pants called a
kisbet, hand-stitched and made of
calfskin (not booty shorts, sadly).
The way one wins oil wrestling
is by grasping one’s kisbet. Best
way to do this is to stick one’s arm
through another’s kisbet.

Image via www.theapricity.com

 

Not getting it? Let me sum it aside, it takes a lot of strength to Despite it being an ancient, on in other countries, maybe
up for you: oil wrestling isasport —_ win. The images I’ve seen show national sport, what strikes me making it to the Olympics if we're
wherein a number of shirtless men occasionally tossing one about it is how fun it looks. all very lucky. In the meantime,
men oil themselves up and win another around with ease. I can Apparently the matches are less to the Douglas Athletics
by sliding their handsdowneach _ barely keep hold of my phone a brutal competition, and more Department, I say this: if you're
other's pants. And itis delightful. without dropping it—I couldn't a challenge that showcases one looking for a new sport to take
Apparently, this sport is pretty —_ imagine doing the same witha another’s abilities, based in on, I have a suggestion. And I'll
ancient, dating back to the days 200-pound, oiled-up human. mutual respect. personally provide the olive oil.
of Sumer and Babylon. All joking Here’s hoping the sport catches

Douglas-SFU ping OP Player of the Week
pong tournament > Basketball Provincials edition

Davie Wong points, counting for 37 per

> Successful tournament may lead to much more Sports Editor cent of her team’s offence.

Rebecca Peterson
Staff Writer

 

n Friday, March 4, Douglas

hosted an event that has
been months in the making. A
ping pong tournament between
Simon Fraser University and
Douglas College.

Though the competition was
fierce, the atmosphere of the
event was very friendly. Matches
between contestants would often
conclude with handshakes and
compliments passed between
players. They even traded tips
and tricks to improve each other’s
performance. Teams cheered
on their own players as well as
their opponents. Everyone was
encouraged in equal measure to
perform their best.

Both teams brought their best
to the table, showing incredible
skill and effort. As one spectator
commented, “Your reflexes would
have to be amazing to do this.”

 

 

Players were not above physically As Douglas is a smaller college, Cee re

improbable leaps and twists to our facilities are not very large. his week’s OP Player of : Bla oes 4 eee is
catch the ball and send it back Hosting events such as ping pong the Week is Nanaya Miki. ee “ ted the game
to their opponents. It was not tournaments can prove difficult. Despite her team not winning — @ne' se net O, wh ‘back fo d
uncommon to watch volleys that | The hope for the future is that ee the tournament, eftheco, veil acs ie
lasted for minutes without either —_ events like this tournament can Miki still managed to amass f me <n Sh ‘cl dn ‘ "
side conceding a point. occur on an annual basis, with a ridiculous eucurounl of eboandk - i me fe ,

In the end, SFU swept up schools trading off as hosts. It offensive and defensive stats. = T° th s) wit ic. n 4 °
the top three placements with speaks well of our school. Despite In two games, Miki played a ghe al hal inst soto it
their players Vlad, Tony, and our compact size, the Athletics total of 75 oe of the 85 total he a AS ASSISES FO FOP I
Elaine. Douglas’s own Lakshay Department has been ready and Te This was especially @ N . Miki’s pl
coming in fourth. The results willing to organize and host evident in the eS b h hay d “ee ey .
were not entirely surprising, as events like this. Those events loss to the Capilano Blues, a °° Lhe coe wi
apparently Vlad is a ping pong have always been well-attended when she played a total of 41 howl “t sak , en
champion back in the Ukraine. and enjoyed by players and out of 45 minutes. se ar a ' _ es re
His confidence and skill spoke spectators alike. Over the eee she vee ow dark on | oF 1
of a long history of experience, All in all, the night was an scored 46 of her team's 124 ca very cam weesen’
though many of Douglas’s players incredible success, culminating in
managed to keep up with him a group photo with both school
all the same. The prize for first teams. It seems both schools
place was a $150 gift certificate enjoyed the tournament, and are
to Boston Pizza, which Douglas eager to repeat the experience
representatives awarded to the again next year. Something for
SFU team at the conclusion of the our own team to look forward
bout. to, as they continue meeting

The night was closed by up and training towards future
a speech from a member of tournaments.

Douglas’s Athletics Department.

 

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Image via thinkstock