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Habibe Yuksel's camel Efecan (R) and other owners and camels are waiting for their turn in the Camel Beauty Contest to be held at the Selcuk Camel Wrestling Festival in Selcuk district near Izmir city, Turkey, 14 January 2023. For Habibe Yüksel, camel wrestling is much more than just a sport – it is her family’s legacy. Continuing what her grandfather started 70 years ago, Yüksel’s passion for the sport has carved out a unique position as western Turkey’s only woman in a traditionally male-dominated arena. In 2009, she bought her two young calves when they were three years old, and decided to take up the sport that her grandfather had been forced to abandon in the 1970s as he could not keep up with the financial demands of breeding and feeding camels for competition. The sport features two male camels clashing in bouts that normally last about 10 minutes. As a nearby female camel is needed to get the males in the mood, the matches are usually held during mating season, from November to March. (Photo by Sedat Suna/EPA/EFE)
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