A passion marks the weekends in certain neighborhoods of the ‘City of the Sun’: cockfighting. The stakes can be high, and the roosters are prepared and trained with daily care.
The roosters fight until one of them wins, securing victory for their owners. Cockfighting remains both a hobby and a popular activity for many men and fathers in Toliara. In Betsingilo, a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, a fighting arena has existed for nearly twenty years. The venue belongs to Rasolofonarivo, known as Riri, who always speaks with pleasure about his penchant for this practice.
“Yes, you could say that owners make money through their roosters. But it’s not just that; it’s a whole hobby. The roosters are selected and trained to become fighters. They need vitamins, tonics, and quality, sufficient food. It’s daily maintenance, and we are always eager to take them to the fight on the weekend,” he explains.
Last Saturday, in the late afternoon, two roosters known to the regulars entered the ring. Generally, a match lasts one hour and fifty-five minutes. One of them is named Ferdinand. His owner bet 100,000 ariary on his victory. But Ferdinand showed weakness from the start. During the one-minute breaks granted every ten or fifteen minutes, his owner refreshed his head and neck with a sponge soaked in water or splashed him with water.
However, Ferdinand could not recover. He lowered his guard, while his opponent proved stronger against his frailer frame. The other rooster pecked him repeatedly behind the neck. Spectators shouted at Ferdinand’s “boss” to give up and withdraw his fighter. The owner, with a laugh, admitted his rooster was in trouble. “Ferdinand will be eaten with ginger because he has finished his fighting career,” he said.
After a little over an hour of fighting, Ferdinand was finally defeated. Too injured to lift his head and too weak to retaliate, he could no longer continue. “It’s all this excitement we feel during the cockfights that makes me love attending this kind of leisure activity,” said a spectator.
The owner of the Betsingilo cockfighting arena now plans to expand the facilities by adding VIP areas and a bar corner. “When we organize challenges, the stake can go up to ten million ariary or more. In some forms of competition, the prizes can range from a zebu to two million ariary,” he points out. This expansion could see the light of day soon. The owner collects 10% of the stake wagered for each rooster.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-22 05:54:24 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/09/toliara-un-combat-mort-pour-les-coqs.html