text: Grappling on the sand and roared on by a vociferous sell-out crowd, these two powerhouses of Senegalese wrestling trade mighty blows with one another. The two famous wrestlers, Balla Gaye 2 and Eumeu Sene, competed in the crunch match dubbed 'Le Choc' at Demba Diop Stadium in the capital of Dakar. After a brutal and closely fought encounter under the hot sun, the burly Sene emerged victorious. Scroll down for video . Heavyweights: Balla Gaye (left) grapples with the bulky frame of Eumeu Sene at Dakar's Demba Diop stadium during 'Le Choc' In the zone: Heavyweight Balla Gaye 2 arrives to a ritual before the bout - but he lost to Eumeu Sene in 'Le Choc' yesterday . Fever: Supporters of Balla Gaye 2 dance and perform to the packed out stadium before his bruising encounter with Eumeu Sene . Thud: A wrestler grimaces as he digs his face into the muscular shoulder of his opponent in the tussle as part of yesterday's event . Prior to the showdown event, other athletes - dressed in colourful loin cloths - took to the arena for a series of bruising combats. This form of wrestling - which involves strikes - is only practised in Senegal and has boomed in popularity as their football team has struggled since their remarkable run at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Wrestling with strikes allows punches to the face or head and can end with a knockout blow. A fight typically lasts between ten seconds and four minutes. The winner is whoever puts his opponent on the ground, whether on his back, rear, stomach, or a combination of hands and knees. Crash: A wrestler dumps his opponent with a full-blooded tackle on to the sand - spelling the end of the fight . Power: A wrestler prepares to land a strong right hand to the head of his struggling opponent in the Demba Diop Stadium, Dakar . Full blooded: Wrestlers block off their opponents' punches in a closely fought bout in yesterday's gripping spectacle in Dakar . Ready: A wrestler pours a bottle of 'potion' over himself - these include ingredients such as hair from lions and hyenas, gazelle milk and the roots of sacred and secret trees and are deemed to provide good fortune . Victorious: Dressed in a green loin cloth, a wrestler defeats his opponent by pushing him to the sand . Wrestling's popularity in the north-western African country make it a lucrative business. For the sport's superstars, such as Balla Gaye 2 and Eumeu Sene, the rewards can be huge with the potential to earn up to $200,000 per contest. In a country where unemployment is pushing 50 per cent and the average annual income is $980, some see it as a way to escape poverty. Star wrestlers become lords of entire districts, privileged with providing for their friends and rewarded with unflinching loyalty. Their hordes of fans become the equivalent of neighborhood gangs and brawls between rivals are common in and out of the stadium. Similarly to the 'weigh-in' in boxing, tensions are inflamed at the pre-match promotion where both the competitors and their fans square up to one another in front of television cameras. A recent 'face à face' between Yékini and Balla Gaye 2 descended into a brawl and riot police had to break up the scuffle. Jeering: A wrestler with sandy knees celebrates his victory in the Demba Diop arena by mocking his opponent with a big grin .
target: Two famous wrestlers, Balla Gaye 2 and Eumeu Sene, competed in 'Le Choc' at Demba Diop stadium in Dakar .
  After a brutal encounter, roared on by the crowd in the sold-out stadium, the burly Sene emerged victorious .
  Prior to the showdown event, other athletes - dressed in loin cloths - took to the arena for a series of bruising bouts .
  Wrestling's popularity in Senegal make it a lucrative business in a country where the average annual income is $980 .