‘It’s excruciating’: Welcome to Bavaria’s unusual finger wrestling championship

In the Bavarian village of Pflugdorf-Stadl, competitors gathered for Germany’s finger wrestling championships, a traditional Alpine sport requiring strength, technique and plenty of resilience.

Opponents hook their middle fingers into a small leather loop and pull with all their might, trying to drag each other across the table. Matches can last from a few seconds to nearly a minute.

Competitors warm up carefully before taking part, as the intense strain can cause painful injuries to the skin.

Senior champion Ferdinand Seitz described the pain as “excruciating”, but said other sports can be just as brutal.