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Article: Slick and slippery, Turkish oil-wrestling is as popular _ and controversial _ as ever
- Article from:
- AP Worldstream
- Article date:
- July 10, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightProvided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Dateline: EDIRNE, Turkey
For more than 40 grueling minutes, Hasan Tuna grabbed and tugged at
his opponent's sweaty, oil-slicked body.
Suddenly, he was on his back, looking up at the sun in a field of
uncut grass: Last year's Turkish olive oil wrestling champion was
pinned.
"He slipped. There was no way he won," Tuna protested, fist raised
in the air.
The crowd roared at the quarterfinal upset by a newcomer, who staggered
off the field, dripping with oil, exhausted and barely able to speak.
Every summer, hundreds of men like Tuna don nothing but intricately
decorated, long leather shorts and generously pour oil-olive over
each other's backs, arms, and legs. ...