15 images Created 16 Mar 2021
The Muscle Beaches of Dakar
At the beaches of Dakar, surprising scenes take place every morning and evening. One can see mostly men but also women between the age of 15 and 60 years come to the coast of Senegal's capital to work out. From the beaches of Ngor to the neighbourhood of Fann, thousands of residents use the long coastal strip of the city to strengthen their muscles. In Fann, sports enthusiasts on the Corniche benefit from fitness equipment donated by the Chinese Embassy and Chinese companies, but various sports courts are also available for a wide range of sporting activities. The crowd is here for physical exercise, especially at the end of the day when the heat is less intense. They do gymnastics, jog in the sand, play soccer, volley ball, basket ball, squash and even wrestling, which is the national sport in Senegal. All this with a view on the beach with the sea and a rising setting sun. Only one may expect to see these images on certain beaches in large American cities rather than in an African country, where 95% of the population are Muslim. In some Muslim countries sports are generally forbidden. Perhaps it is the reason that so many Senegalese are enjoying exercising on the beach, well aware that the religious tolerance in their country offers privileges that people in some neighbourhood countries don’t have.
