Maasai Olympics Regional Competition

In mid-November Iltilal village hosted the regional level of competition for the first-annual Maasai Olympics celebration (read more about the initiative here), and it was an amazing spectacle!  It was a great success, with the entire community coming out to watch and very enthusiastic about the competition.

A strong moran throwing a javelin as part of the spear-throwing competition.

The morani, or Maasai warriors, spend most of their time herding cattle in the bush, only rarely coming into contact with other Maasai who live in the villages of Kuku Group Ranch.  With their striking red shukas, intricate beaded jewelry, and elaborate hair so distinct from other Maasai, they are truly a sight to see.  The young Maasai children crowded around the competition areas, straining to catch a glimpse of these strong warriors.

This moran's hair is particularly elaborate, but all Maasai warriors are very proud of their carefully-kept hair.

The competition went very well, with each of the various events (200m sprint, 5000m run, spear throwing, rungu throwing, high jumping) determining a champion to send onto the final level of competition, the tribe-wide Maasai Olympics to be held on 22nd December with Maasai from all over East Africa.  Even with the previous night's rain washing away some of the carefully placed chalk lines for competition, nothing stopped the community from coming together for this fun and important cultural event.

Close of shot of the beautiful beaded jewelry and sandals made from recycled tires.

The community support was the most important part of this whole inaugural event, and it is this sort of adaptation that will allow the Maasai to adjust to the modern world while nonetheless maintaining their important cultural traditions.  As an added incentive toward this goal, MWCT is funding a trip for the winner of the 5000m run to go run the 2013 New York Marathon in America.  We look forward to another great round of competition and cultural celebration at the final level in a couple weeks!