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Mud wrestling and tent pegging: Africa’s unusual sports

Wrestling in the mud, a dance of the mind, and a medieval sport on horseback.

We take a look at some of the more unusual sports practiced on the African continent. Kelvin Kimathi recently travelled to Uganda where a muddy version of entertainment wrestling is becoming increasingly popular. Marcia Veiga discovered Capoeira Angola whilst finding a way to connect with her own Angolan heritage. Eshlin Vedan met the only black teenager in South Africa competing in tent pegging- a cavalry sport of ancient origin.

Nitin Sultane reports for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Marathi and recently travelled to a village in Maharashtra where discarded fabric has been turned into paper for 700 years.

This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ journalists from all around the world. This is an EcoAudio certified production.

(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

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27 minutes

Last on

Mon 25 Aug 2025 02:32GMT

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  • Sat 23 Aug 2025 17:32GMT
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  • Mon 25 Aug 2025 02:32GMT