Isabelle Sambou, Senegalese Olympic wrestler, honored with "Women and Sport Award"

On March 9th, Isabelle Sambou, Senegalese Olympic wrestler, received the honor of the "Women and Sport Award" from the United World Wrestling, the governing body of wrestling worldwide.

Wrestling in Senegal has a long tradition for both men and women; however, the styles of local wrestling are somewhat different from Olympic wrestling. So far, no wrestler has managed to win a medal in this challenging discipline, but Isabelle Sambou finished 5th in the 48 kg category during the 2012 London Olympics. Additionally, she has won 9 titles in African championships.

Here is an example of her wrestling, a match with a lot of scoring and some surprising moves, such as when they are on their knees on the ground in a shoulder hold, and Sambou does a flip over her opponent:

In this match, her opponent is Adekuoroye Odunayo, one of the most important African wrestlers from Nigeria. Nigeria is also strong in wrestling.

"I love wrestling. It has given me more opportunities than anything else would have."

Entering the Olympics is not easy. Only the best in the world qualify unless a miracle happens, and among the 19 athletes who competed in her category, there were figures like Hitomi Obara, the wrestler who first defeated Isabelle and has won gold in every competition except for one bronze.

The $10,000 check she received came at the same time as International Women's Day, at a time when the organization is seeking to promote wrestling among women.

With information from Tim Foley, from United World Wrestling.