Emanuele Papa 13/08/22
Seng Ge 僧格 ᠰᠡᠩᠭᠡ was born on May 26th of 1925 in the home of Batusuhe, a herdsman of the Zhelemie clan from Baqisumu in the West Ujimqin banner of Xilingol league.
At the age of 9, Seng Ge followed his uncle, a lama from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, to the Wulanhalaga temple to study and recite the Buddhist scriptures.
Since childhood, Seng Ge was both smart, studious and a physically strong child. He often wrestled with his peers on the grassland and desert in front of the temple. The years passed by and these moments spent with his friends playing and wrestling in the grassland slowly laid the foundation for his future as a great wrestler.
It was at the age of 18 that, wearing his jodog (the Mongolian wrestling jacket), Seng Ge started to take part in smaller Nadam held at the traditional oboo sacred shrines, often obtaining good results. At the age of 20, he began to participate in some bigger Nadam held in Ujimqin. One time, during a competition held at the oboo in Halagaitu, on the spur of the moment, Seng Ge was able to throw many famous wrestlers, leaving the crowd speechless, winning the title of champion. From that moment on, he became a famous young wrestler, known far and wide in the grasslands. No matter the size of the competition, every time Sen Ge entered the wrestling field, the audience would cheer, excited to see him.
In 1953, Seng Ge participated in a National Shuaijiao competition that was being held in Beijing. Despite this being his first time leaving the grasslands to take part in a national competition, Seng Ge was very confident and ready to show to the crowd all his skills. Indeed, expectations were met. Seng Ge defeated the famous Tianjin wrestler Zhang Kuiyuan in the final, becoming the champion in the heavyweight division.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Seng Ge became the first athlete
to represent the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in national competitions and was
awarded with the title of Master of Sports of the PRC.
In 1956, six athletes from the West Ujimqin banner, led by Seng Ge, participated to the first national trials competition, bringing great honor the grassland and their hometown with their excellent results. During the competition, Seng Ge crushed his opponents, displaying his absolute wrestling superiority, becoming the champion in the 100kg weight class. Wearing a gold medal with the title of "outstanding athlete of the People's Republic of China" awarded to him by the State Sports Commission, Seng Ge entered the Hall of Cherished Compassion in Zhongnanhai and was received by the President and the vice president of the People's Republic of China of the time Liu Shaoqi and Zhu De, as well as many other party and state leaders. In 1957, Seng Ge visited Mongolia as a member of the Inner Mongolia sports delegation.
Since 1958, Seng Ge has worked as a bokh coach for both the Sports Committee of Inner Mongolia autonomous region and the Sports Committee of the Xilingol League, training many wrestling champions for more than ten years.
Because of his great contribution to Inner Mongolia's bokh, the party and local government leaders received Seng Ge many times. In 1977, during the celebration for the 3oth anniversary of Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the founding Chairman of China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, comrade Ulanhu, personally received him. In 1978, Seng Ge was elected as a member of the fifth Political Consultative Committee of the Xilin Gol League.
On June 16th 1980, Seng Ge died of illness at the age of 55 in Bayanwula city 巴彦乌拉镇 ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠨ ᠠᠭᠤᠯᠠ ᠪᠠᠯᠭᠠᠰᠤ᠃ in the West Ujimqin banner. At the memorial meeting held in Bayanwula, the banner Committee and the banner government spoke highly of Seng Ge's life and achievements: "Comrade Seng Ge is an outstanding wrestler of the Mongolian minority, he dedicated all his sweat and blood to bokh wrestling." Many government officials such as the deputy chairman of the National People's Congress, the Head of the CPC Central Committee United Front Work Department Ulanhu, the secretary of the autonomous regional party committee Wang Duo and others, all sent letters to express their condolences.
On July 1982, in the city of Harigentai Sumu the Sports Commission of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region erected a tombstone in memory of Seng Ge with the following inscription: "Tomb of Seng Ge, national bokh wrestling master."
A special thanks to my friends Lavell and Oyuntana for going all the way to Harigentai Sumu to take these photos for me and every other Inner Mongolian bokh enthusiast.
Glossary of Chinese and Mongolian names and therms:
Baqisumu 巴棋苏木 ᠪᠠᠴᠢ ᠰᠤᠮᠤ᠃
Batusuhe 巴图苏和 ᠪᠠᠲᠤᠰᠦ᠋ᠬᠡ
Bayan wula city 巴彦乌拉镇 ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠨ ᠠᠭᠤᠯᠠ ᠪᠠᠯᠭᠠᠰᠤ᠃
Halagaitu 哈喇盖图 ᠬᠠᠯᠠᠭᠠᠶ᠋ᠢᠲᠤ
Haotele Bayer 豪特勒巴雅尔 ᠬᠣᠲᠠᠯᠠᠪᠠᠶᠠᠷ
Huairentang 怀仁堂 - Hall of Cherished Compassion
Harigentai Sumu 哈日根台苏木 ᠬᠠᠷᠭᠠᠨᠠᠲᠠᠶ ᠰᠤᠮᠤ᠃
Jodog ᠵᠣᠳᠣᠭ
Liu Shaoqi 刘少奇
Oboo 敖包 ᠣᠪᠤᠭᠠ
Ulanhu 乌兰夫 ᠤᠯᠠᠭᠠᠨᠬᠦᠦ
Wang Duo 王铎
Wulanhalaga temple 乌兰哈拉嘎庙 ᠤᠯᠠᠭᠠᠨ ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠯᠭᠠ ᠰᠦᠮᠡ
Xilinguole meng 锡林郭勒盟 ᠰᠢᠯᠢ ᠶᠢᠨ ᠭᠣᠣᠯ ᠠᠶᠢᠮᠠᠭ - Xilingol league
Xi Wuzhumuqin qi 西乌珠穆沁旗 ᠪᠠᠷᠠᠭᠤᠨ ᠤᠵᠤᠮᠤᠴᠢᠨ ᠬᠣᠰᠢᠭᠤ - West Ujimqin banner
Zhang Kuiyuan 张魁元
Zhelemie clan 者勒蔑氏 ᠵᠡᠯᠮᠡ
Zhongnanhai 中南海
Zhu De 朱德