Photos show Turkey's youngest oil wrestlers keeping a 14th-century tradition alive
A young wrestler celebrates his victory in a round during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler reacts after losing in a round during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler rests after a round during the 663rd annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A referee announces the victory of a young wrestler in a round during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Young wrestlers try to recover on the shower room after they competed on the last day of the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler is doused in oil during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Young wrestlers prepare as they wait for their turn to compete during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler washes his body with water before around during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler is doused in oil during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Young wrestlers prepare as they wait for their turn to compete during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Young wrestlers walk out of the shower room after they competed on the last day of the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Young wrestlers getting ready to start a round during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler is doused in oil during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler is doused in oil during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Young wrestlers try to recover on the shower room after they competed on the last day of the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler celebrates his victory in a round during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler reacts after losing in a round during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler rests after a round during the 663rd annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A referee announces the victory of a young wrestler in a round during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Young wrestlers try to recover on the shower room after they competed on the last day of the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler is doused in oil during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Young wrestlers prepare as they wait for their turn to compete during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler washes his body with water before around during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler is doused in oil during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Young wrestlers prepare as they wait for their turn to compete during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Young wrestlers walk out of the shower room after they competed on the last day of the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Young wrestlers getting ready to start a round during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A young wrestler is doused in oil during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship, in Edirne, northwestern Turkey, Sunday, July 6, 2025.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
EDIRNE, Turkey (AP) — On a grass field slick with olive oil and steeped in tradition, hundreds of boys as young as 11 joined the ranks of Turkey's 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's fighting men fit and ready for battle.
Advertisement
The sport, which is on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list, sees wrestlers cover themselves in olive oil and try to press their opponent's back to the ground to win the bout.
Alongside the men contesting, youngsters also don the iconic 'kispet' 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 'minik,' 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.
Advertisement
While the youngest competitors aren't wrestling for titles like 'baspehlivan,' the grand champion of the men's 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's contest – the 664th in its history – saw 36-year-old Orhan Okulu win his third men's title.
'My goal was the golden belt in Kirkpinar and thanks to my God, I succeeded,' Okulu said of the coveted prize.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Report – Inter Milan Coach Hopeful Of Convincing Turkey Superstar To Stay But Prepares For Worst-Case Scenario
Report – Inter Milan Coach Hopeful Of Convincing Turkey Superstar To Stay But Prepares For Worst-Case Scenario Inter Milan boss Cristian Chivu is not ready to let Hakan Calhanoglu continue his career at Galatasaray without a fight. Per Corriere dello Sport via FCInterNews, the Romanian coach is hoping to convince the star midfielder to stay at San Siro. Advertisement Despite his household status at Inter, Hakan Calhanoglu has found Galatasaray's offer too tempting to resist. In addition to bolstered wages, the 31-year-old is enthusiastic about returning to his homeland. Therefore, Cristian Chivu faces the uphill task of persuading the playmaker to change his mind. Inter Milan Coach Cristian Chivu Hopes to Change Hakan Calhanoglu Mind PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 17: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of FC Internazionale Milano, reacts during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group E match between CF Monterrey and FC Internazionale Milano at Rose Bowl Stadium on June 17, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by) Calhanoglu's farewell seems like a likely scenario. Indeed, Inter's €30 million asking price may not be enough to deter the Rams Park outfit. Furthermore, with the player's seal of approval, they must feel confident about getting the deal over the line. Advertisement However, Chivu believes he could repair Calhanoglu's relationship with the club after Lautaro Martinez's infamous statement. If proved otherwise, Inter will probably go for broke to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson. Across the Atlantic, Palmeiras' Richard Rios could be another exciting option for the Nerazzurri.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Leroy Sané to Galatasaray a done deal
Fabrizio Romano and Florian Plettenberg report that Leroy Sané (29) to Galatasaray is a done deal. The German winger will leave Bayern Munich for the Turkish champions where he will sign a three-year contract until 2028. Sané – who rejected Bayern Munich's latest contract offer – will fly to Istanbul tonight where he will then undergo a medical with Galatasaray before the transfer is made official. As such, the player won't be a part of the Bayern squad for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. Advertisement As reported earlier, Sané will earn up to €15m per year at Galatasaray, where he will become a key player alongside players such as Mauro Icardi. The German will become the clubs first new signing of the summer after they made the moves of Ismail Jakobs and Przemyslaw Frankowski permanent. Sané scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 30 Bundesliga appearances last season, his best goalscoring tally in the Bundesliga so far. A move to Galatasaray brings an end to the German's five-year spell at Bayern, where he scored 61 goals and provided 55 assists in 220 games across all competitions. GGFN | Daniel Pinder
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Big name, big talent? Argentina call up Gladbach starlet
Can Armando Güner is just 17 years old and is already shining in the youth teams of Borussia Mönchengladbach. His team became champions of the U17 Bundesliga, and Güner—a left winger who can play on both flanks—was named the best player. Advertisement He has also already been called up to the German U15, U16, and U17 national teams. But now the Argentine national team also wants to court the young talent: U17 coach Diego Placente has included the young player—whose first name holds special significance for the Argentine public—in the current squad that will prepare for the upcoming U17 World Cup in Qatar this November. Argentine through his grandmother Armando Güner has an Argentine grandmother, which allowed him to obtain Argentine citizenship and thus be eligible to play for the 'Albiceleste'—the national team once defended by his famous namesake Diego Armando. Advertisement His mother is of German-Argentine descent, his father, Adalet Güner, is Turkish and the sporting director of fourth-division club KFC Uerdingen. Can Armando was also born in Krefeld in 2008. Thanks to his father, Can Armando is also eligible to play for the Turkish national team—so the young player has several options. According to current FIFA regulations, a player may play for the national team of his choice, provided there is verifiable ancestry and he has not played a competitive match for another nation after the age of 21. So Armando Güner still has a few years to make a final decision. In the U17 team of Borussia Mönchengladbach, Can Armando Güner played 44 matches, scored 26 goals, and provided 11 assists. In the current season, in which he is already playing for the club's U19 team, he has scored twice in four matches. Advertisement For now, the young player will travel to Buenos Aires to train with the Argentine U17 national team at the training center in Ezeiza—with the goal of securing a permanent spot in the squad for the World Cup. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here. 📸 Neil Baynes - 2025 Getty Images
