Arm Wrestling’s Growing Momentum: Emphasizing Skill Over Strength

While often perceived as a casual display of strength in social settings, arm wrestling, a discipline with a history spanning over 4,000 years according to the Ultimate Armwrestling League, marked its inaugural appearance at the African Games in Ghana earlier this year. The continental event, hosted in Accra, Ghana, saw 28 gold medals awarded in the sport. During a match, experts assert that concentration and skill are more crucial than physical power. Rosemary Botha, president of the South African Armwrestling Federation (SAAF), informed BBC Sport Africa, “You don’t have to be the strongest to be the best.” She elaborated, “It is about knowing what to do with what you have.” Botha further explained, “You could take someone who lifts weights that would make most of us cry, but put him against one of our arm wrestlers who is maybe 100 kilograms lighter and that guy will beat him based on the fact that he has more technique.” She added, “It’s about using all your muscles at the same time and going in directions which may be unnatural.” Botha began her serious involvement in the sport in 2007 and has since become a nurturing presence in South African arm wrestling, guiding individuals through the Supernova Club, which operates from her residence in Springs, Gauteng. Reflecting on her beginnings, she stated, “I was terrible when I started but I just loved that camaraderie, that opportunity to try and be better than the next person.” Botha recounted, “I arm-wrestled against body builders who had these big muscles. I was this not-so-conditioned little fat girl. I actually was able to stop them.” She concluded, “I realised that if I actually put some effort in I might be able to also beat them.” Botha achieved multiple national championships and competed for her nation at the World Armwrestling Championship. Currently, she is dedicating her efforts to expanding the sport’s reach. Nigerian arm wrestler Mausi Zannu anticipates that the sport will eventually gain inclusion in the Olympic Games. Meanwhile, Botha advocates for establishing a presence in historically disadvantaged communities, encompassing schools and townships. She elaborated, “We are not tapping into the raw talent in South Africa.” Botha observed, “Some of our strongest arm wrestlers come from farming communities in the middle of nowhere. They come to the table and they are killing it because they just have natural raw talent because of the type of lifestyle that they’re leading.” She added, “They’re living off meat, farming and carrying things around all day and that just makes them so much stronger.” As SAAF president, Botha’s aspiration is to cultivate the sport within schools, providing each institution with a table for children to practice and discover potential medal-winning athletes. She remarked, “I work in a high school and we have got a few boys that are amazing arm wrestlers.” Mausi Zannu, a Nigerian arm wrestler and gold medalist at this year’s African Games, has urged for greater funding, convinced that the sport is poised to achieve mainstream recognition. She conveyed to BBC Sport Africa, “I believe arm wrestling is going to be in the Olympics.” Zannu stressed, “We need support for the sport to go further. In the next few years, arm wrestling should be recognised across the world.” Given its affordability and suitability for promotion among individuals with disabilities, arm wrestling also presents an opportunity to enhance inclusion, particularly for women who might typically lack such avenues. Botha stated, “I promote it as a feminine sport, not just a sport to show off your testosterone and ego.” She added, “It’s about how you can empower yourself as a woman as well. You don’t have to be strong. You just have to take a chance at the table.” Among the athletes Botha has mentored is 14-year-old Meri Prinsloo, who secured a bronze medal in the women’s over 80kg left-arm category at the African Games, despite having only commenced arm wrestling last year. From their initial encounter, Botha recognized Prinsloo’s innate talent, finding it challenging to defeat the schoolgirl. Botha recollected, “She came to a practice event and the first time I pulled against her I went down so fast it was not funny.” She continued, “I realised I would have to use all the technique in the book. I barely beat her that day.” Prinsloo’s journey to a continental medal was complicated by her mother Melinda’s initial disapproval of her involvement, as Melinda believed the sport was inappropriate for young girls and favored Meri pursuing athletics. Melinda confessed to BBC Sport Africa, “I really didn’t think arm wrestling suited her, but how wrong I was.” She added, “I was surprised to see how many girls and women do arm wrestling. From there on, I realised you shouldn’t say a certain sport is just for a certain gender.” Meri Prinsloo, embodying the next generation of arm wrestlers, firmly asserts that the discipline transcends being merely a bar sport. The teenager explained to BBC Sport Africa, “You may be drunk for bar sports.” She clarified, “In arm wrestling, you go to the table, you’re an athlete and know what you are doing. Technique is important because you have top rollers, hookers and just people who press.” Prinsloo concluded, “For me, the top roll is the best.” The top roll, Prinsloo’s preferred technique, entails forcing her opponent to open their fingers and hands to secure a leverage advantage. With a bronze medal from the African Games and a promising career ahead, Prinsloo potentially could, in time, succeed Botha as the leading figure in South African arm wrestling. Host nation Ghana secured the highest total number of arm wrestling medals at the African Games, with 41, yet Egypt surpassed the West African nation’s eight gold titles by winning 14 gold medals.