Dr Bismark Unya, a university lecturer has taken his time to give a concise analysis of the history of wrestling festival in Afikpo, Ebonyi State of Nigeria. He wrote:
AFIKPO TRADITIONAL WRESTLING, ORIGIN AND SIGNIFICANCE PART 1
Igbo wrestling (Mgba) is one of the traditional sports that unites the entire Igbo nation. As a traditional sport, wrestling shows strength and courage, although strength alone cannot make one a good wrestler. For one to be a good wrestler of the order of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart, Sanbeya of Mgbom or Breeze of Ndibe, one must combine strength with great wrestling skills.
To be sure, all festivals and traditional sports in Igboland are linked to the Igbo agricultural calendar. In the Igbo native philosophy, healthy competition is a way of life. For instance, when a farmer distinguishes himself in yam cultivation, he becomes Ezeji or Okuji; when a young man emerges number one in Okwu Oha (communal mound making), he receives a prized gift of Isi Uba (fish head) while his peers will be looking at him with great admiration.
Agricultural activities usually start from February to May. Around June when the rain becomes heavy and little or no farm work is done, wrestling becomes one of the sports that engages the entire community. Will the man who emerged first during Okwu Oha also come first during Mgba? Both Okwu Oha and Mgba need strength, strategy and sustaining powers for one to be declared a winner, but the skills vary. Is it possible that a man who defeated his peers during Okwu Oha will still emerge a winner during Mgba?
In the olden days, great wrestlers were great celebrities. You cannot contest any beautiful girl with them because the young girl in question and her family want to identify with the strong who will always defend her at all time.
Wrestling confers honours and respect to the holders especially those without records of defeats. If one starts his wrestling career from infant till he retires as an Ikpo without records of defeats, he is made to move round all the Isi Ogo Ehugbos with a glorious beans-sowing (Iku Azama) signifying his exit from wrestling contest without any records of being flawed. It used to be a great celebration in those days.
Historically, Nkpoghoro community in Ehugbo is regarded as the originators of Mgba in Afikpo-Igbo cultural areas. According to oral tradition, a certain man from Nkpoghoro went to farm. While in his farm, he heard great exciting noises from a distance. He cautiously went to the scene and watched great numbers of monkeys (Enwo) wrestling among themselves based on age variations.
The farmer was thrilled and loved what he saw, thus, he came back home and domesticated what he saw. Mgba Ehugbo actually started as a family sports before it spread to other communities and nearby cultural areas.
In part two of this article, the different types and categories of Mgba, the significance and contemporary relevance will be discussed.
24/06/2023
Oyim Ugwu Chukwuemeka , Kelechi Agha , Achi Augustine, Iyke Otiunya, Olughu Franklin Nnamdi, Rosemary Ejimole Mbe, Gabriel Mbecity, Okechukwu Ukpabi, Rita Oyim Aik Unya, Ginger Eke Collins Ogbonnia, Arua Oko, Brutus Onyebuchi Chima, Jerome Ogbonnia Ugwu, Okocha Kelechi Elochukwu, Ogbonnia Nwachi, Suny Nkama, Nkamauzor Chibuike , Okwukwechi Nkama, Iheanachor Ibe Azubuike.
