German men with strongest fingers compete in ‘Fingerhakeln’ wrestling
Bernneuren, May 12: Despite the threat of dislocated fingers and strained muscles, over 150 Bavarian men came together Sunday to compete in Germany’s unique national championship of “Fingerhakeln,” or finger wrestling.
The “finger wrestlers” met in a big beer tent in the small southern village of Bernbeuren. Around 1,000 visitors cheered on the all-male contestants as they gulped down their national beer and world-famous German sausages while Bavarian live music filled the air.
Finger wrestling, a well-known competitive sport in Germany’s Alpine region and neighbouring Austria, originated as a way to settle disputes.
In each round, two competitors sit on opposite sides of a solid table and each hooks one finger – usually the middle finger – through opposite sides of a small leather loop. As soon as a referee signals the start, a contestant tries to pull the other across the table swiftly.
The whole thing usually lasts a few seconds, and digits put out of their joints are common. The winner moves to the next round. (AP)
First person to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant dies
Boston (US), May 12: The first recipient of a genetically modified pig kidney transplant has died nearly two months after he underwent the procedure, his family and the hospital that performed the surgery said Saturday.
Richard “Rick” Slayman had the transplant at Massachusetts General Hospital in March at the age of 62. Surgeons said they believed the pig kidney would last for at least two years.
The transplant team at Massachusetts General Hospital said in a statement it was deeply saddened by Slayman’s passing and offered condolences to his family. They said they didn’t have any indication that he died as a result of the transplant.
The Weymouth, Massachusetts, man was the first living person to have the procedure. Previously, pig kidneys had been temporarily transplanted into brain-dead donors. Two men received heart transplants from pigs, although both died within months.
In a statement, Slayman’s family thanked his doctors. (AP)