Now, back to Senegal, which Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to visit this weekend. Football is, of course, one of the most popular sports in the west African nation, with the national team reaching the World Cup quarter-finals in 2002. But the country is also a powerhouse in traditional wrestling, which is practically an obsession among the population. Damion Jones has the details.

Although most sports fans in Senegal undoubtedly love international football, their true passion is laamb, a traditional wrestling discipline that combines Greco-Roman maneuvers, with eclectic pre-match rituals.

The combat competition emerged from the Serer ethnic group, and is now a leading pastime in the West African country, as well as neighboring Gambia. Transcending demographics, the activity enjoys widespread popularity. In ancient times, young men participated in bouts to prove their strength, and bring honor to their villages.

Now a modern national stadium is going up in the capital, Dakar, with the assistance of companies from the Far East, after China's Hunan Construction Engineering Group started building the 20,000-seat arena two years ago.

GALASS SENEGALESE WRESTLER "We currently hold our competitions at football stadiums. It is high time that we have our own stadium. In my opinion, the national arena is a gift for us, the young wrestlers. I think it will give us the confidence to continue our development. All of the young wrestlers dream of having matches in the national arena."

When the new venue in Dakar is completed, Senegal's wrestlers will finally have a facility dedicated to the pursuit of their craft, while spectators will be able to enjoy unprecedented views of the matches. And the elevation of this discipline is not expected to distract in any way from that other countrywide obsession -- international football.

The Lions of Teranga posted a runner-up finish at the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, and have finished fourth in the continental competition on three other occasions. They made their debut at the FIFA World Cup that same year, and stunned reigning champions France with a 1-0 victory in the tournament opener. The momentum from that shocking win helped propel the squad all the way to the Round of Eight, where they bowed out 1-0 in extra time versus Turkey.

A new generation of kickers qualified for this summer's edition of the global showpiece, and finished third in their group behind Colombia and Japan, which tied the Senegalese team with four points, but advanced to the knockout phase due to accumulating fewer yellow cards. DJ, CGTN.