(JollofNews) – The Gambia’s sporting community Thursday mourned a popular young wrestler who drowned in the Mediterranean attempting to reach Italy, following the recent death of a top women’s footballer in similar circumstances.
Ali Mbengu, 22, died last Friday when his boat capsized, his coach Pateh Nying told AFP, as the country’s wrestling federation begged young people to think twice before making the perilous crossing.
Wrestling is hugely popular in the Gambia and in neighbouring Senegal, where bouts steeped in traditional rituals are watched by hundreds of spectators.
Coach Nying recounted how the wrestler, also known as “Mille Franc” (Thousand Franc), had left for Libya in 2014. Many migrants get stuck in the unstable north African nation, working to pay off debts before finally setting sail.
“His plan was to cross to Italy by boat,” Nying said.
“One of the survivors called his brother and informed him about the incident. The caller told the brother that only 10 people survived when the boat capsized on the high seas.”
Mille Franc is said to have made his debut in early 2012, working under Coach Nying of Club Serrekunda Gome Saboppa, in the outskirts of the Gambia’s capital, Banjul.
A spokesman for the Gambia Wrestling Federation, Matarr Saine, spoke of the grief of the whole wrestling community.
“He was one of the most disciplined wrestlers in the country and he was really committed to the sport,” Saine told AFP on Wednesday night.
Some of the country’s finest wrestlers have resettled in Europe after boarding makeshift boats from Libya to Italy.
But Saine said not only was the journey by boat incredibly dangerous, but the Gambia needed its best and brightest to stay.
“We are discouraging young people, especially wrestlers, from embarking on this risky journey. It is claiming the lives of our sportsmen and women who can contribute positively to national development,” he said.
The news of Mille Franc’s death came less than a week after the announcement that the goalkeeper of the Gambia’s national women’s football team had also died crossing the Mediterranean.
Fatim Jawara, is believed to have been just 19.
Migration is as old as Mankind. Travelling is the best education, but not at every price! Those Gambians living abroad(mostly unhappy and isolated) are big contributors in this sad situation. They are busy castigating Government for everything than telling the youth the truth about life in Babylon. Our west african neighbours migrate to the Gambia with nothing but after a short period they own small, successful businesses. Waiting to be processed in a refugee camp for over 2 years? What a waste of time! When these young boys and girls leave home, most of them come with a lot of money that they could have reinvested in their lives, in their lovely country. The ones who come to US come with nothing! During the election campaign in the United States, the povery and destitution of America was exposed! How can Gambians living in the USA claim that they are happy in that nation when the yare at the bottom ladder?
Those who has gone pls help them to them papers and now try to make travel easy for the youth black unity each one teach one oneness insha Allah prince of peace in music reggae man licence bliss it’s up manna lion king one love unity freedom