Wrestler Anyieth Lual Ateny, also known as 'Commando,' predicted he would defeat rival giant Kot-Jak in a match in Jonglei state capital Bor on Saturday, but he may not have expected the cost of his victory.

After flipping Kot-Jak, Anyieth promptly fainted on top of his vanquished opponent and was rushed to hospital by his teammates. He recovered after a few minutes.

The two men faced off in the first bout of what would be a short-lived tournament between athletes from Akuak Boma from Baidit Payam of the Thooc section of Bor and those from Cuei-Keer Boma from Kolnyang Payam.

Akuak youths, who delayed the start of the tournament by showing up late, disrupted the event after just two matches forcing the competition to a halt. Fans and officials said the match was poorly organized and too rowdy.

While waiting for his opponent to arrive, Anyieth boasted he would easily defeat Kot-Jak, telling the media he had "no fear" of the Akuak giant.

"I just need him here to face and you will see that I will throw him down without spending time with him," he said.

When Kot-Jak showed up, he said Anyieth wouldn't even be able to see him during the two-minute bout, but this boast turned out false.

After "Commando" won the first match, Cuei-keer’s star Ajith Nyakuoi wrestled in the second position against the shorter Mathiang-Chot of the Akuak. Mathiang-Chot put up a tough fight and held the bigger man to a draw, prompting cheers from the crowd.

But the spectators, who flocked to Bor from across Jonglei as well as from Awerial County in Lakes State, were to be disappointed next.

Athletics officials suddenly called off the tournament when a group of Akuak fans prevented their wrestlers from competing further.

The reasons for the delay were not given, but Cuei-keer fans said the Akuak feared what they termed as a larger and stronger Cuei-keer team.

Before the matches started, Bor mayor Nhial Majak Nhial said he anticipated chaos because the fans were too excited and there was little control over them.  

Radio Tamazuj photo: "Commando" and Kot-Jak face off