Gambia mourns popular wrestler drowned trying to get to Europe

Gambia’s sporting community mourns popular Wrestler Ali Mbengu, 22, who drowned while crossing the Mediterranean to get to Italy. This comes barely after the death of football goal keeper who also died taking the perilous journey.
Mbengu also known as “Mille Franc” left for Libya in 2014 but had to work in the northern African nation to pay his dues before he can be trafficked across the sea to live his European dream in Italy according to his coach Pateh Nying who told the AFP

Wrestling is very popular in Gambia and Senegal as it forms part of traditional rituals as well, fought by only the strong. But when the boat capsized it was only a few that were lucky to have survived.
“One of the survivors called his brother and informed him about the incident. The caller told the brother that only 10 people survived when the boat capsized on the high seas.” Nying said

Gambia’s Wrestling Federation remembers fondly the young man, who debuted into the wrestling fraternity in 2012.
“He was one of the most disciplined wrestlers in the country and he was really committed to the sport,” A spokesman for the Gambia Wrestling Federation, Matarr Saine, told AFP

Gambia’s finest wrestlers have resettled in Europe after taking the incredibly dangerous journey in make shifts boats from Libya to Italy, something that the Gambia Wrestling Federation is warning against.
“We are discouraging young people, especially wrestlers, from embarking on this risky journey. It is claiming the lives of our sportsmen and women who can contribute positively to national development,” said Sane