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ANKARA, TURKEY
Ali Gurbuz won the golden belt at the ancient 660th Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival after defeating his opponent Ismail Koc in Turkey’s northwestern Edirne province on Sunday.
Gurbuz also wins the title of Baspehlivan — the chief wrestler — for the second time in a row, with four times in total.
He will wear the prestigious golden belt for one more year.
In oil wrestling, the wrestlers wear leather pants, rub olive oil on their bodies, and tackle each other on the grass field until the last man standing clinches the title.
The three-day event was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010 on behalf of Turkey.
