Africa Is a Country

Senegalese Wrestlers

Africa Is a Country Podcast
African Five-a-Side Podcast

Senegalese Wrestlers

By
Sean Jacobs

The work of Denis Rouvre, who won second place in sports features in the World Press Photo Awards for his work on Senegalese wrestlers.

All images by Denis Rouvre.

Two weeks ago the results of the World Press Awards were announced. The prize winners included a number of striking images about and by Africans.

Most of the attention has focused on the Malian, Malick Sidibe, who won first prize in the arts and entertainment category for a spread that appeared in The New York Times Magazine last year.

Other winners include Francesco Giusti, who won second prize in the same category for his photos of Congolese sapeurs; Farah Abdi Warsameh from Somalia, second prize in the general news; and Stefano De Luigi from Italy for his shots droughts in Kenya, second place in contemporary issues-singles.

For me, however, the most striking pictures are those by Denis Rouvre of France, who won second place in sports features for his work on Senegalese wrestlers.

Here’s two of the images from the series.

You can view the full series on his website.

Further Reading

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The road to Rafah

The ‘Sumud’ convoy from Tunis to Gaza is reviving the radical promise of pan-African solidarity and reclaiming an anticolonial tactic lost to history.

Sinners and ancestors

Ryan Coogler’s latest film is more than a vampire fable—it’s a bridge between Black American history and African audiences hungry for connection, investment, and storytelling rooted in shared struggle.