Abdoulaye Bagagnan, 21, traveled on foot and then by sea for thousands of kilometers, from Burkina Faso to Molise, to win a traditional sporting competition in the southern Italian region.

The young man triumphed in the 'Palio dei Rioni' in Agnone, in the province of Isernia. The competition is the highlight of celebrations in honor of the Madonna della Libera (Our Lady of Deliverance), an appointment which has mixed the sacred with the profane since 1903 with historic public games.

The young African succeeded in winning a game after coming close to victory last year, climbing a 12-meter-high pole that had been greased with oil to make it slippery.

Seven minutes to grab historic victory for Agnone

It took seven minutes for Abdoulaye Bagagnan to write an unforgettable page in Agnone's history. On Sunday (September 7) the young Burkina Fasan scored a victory that requires strength, technique and a cool head, to reach the top of a greased wooden pole.

The game is not just a sporting event but also a collective challenge: team work is required behind every climb with members taking turns to try to conquer the top while supporting each other.

Last year, Bagagnan came close to reaching the top but had to surrender when, exhausted, he lost the instrument that allowed him to clean his hands and continue to climb. This time, his determination and energy gave him the grit to conquer the top under the eyes of a big crowd.

Over 800 people around the pole applauded and chanted words of encouragement while music blared from the stage during the local festivities.

The story of a difficult journey to reach Italy

Bagagnan described the win as an "incredible emotion. Last year, I had nearly given up, this year I couldn't allow myself to get it wrong. I thought about the journey I took to get here and found the strength."

The victory has a special value for the local community because behind it lies more than a competition -- there is the personal story of a young man who experienced hardship before reaching Molise.

Bagagnan left Burkina Faso two years ago, fleeing a country torn by civil war and internal rifts. It took him two months to walk through deserts and cross borders to reach Algeria and then Tunisia. Finally, he crossed the sea. He spent two days and two nights on a makeshift boat, with little food and water and the constant fear of not making it to his destination.

Speaking about the journey, the young man said he was afraid, "especially at sea, with the high waves and the dark. I always thought about those who had remained home, my parents, my brother and sister. It was the only thing that gave me courage," he said.

All-migrant team at the festival

The young migrant reached the Sicilian island of Lampedusa two years ago in summer. Then he was transferred to Molise, and the mountains of Agnone. He stayed at a hosting center in the former hotel Sammartino where he quickly learned Italian and built a new life.

He then left the facility and found work at a hardware store.His employers describe him as a "very brilliant young man. He immediately learned the trade and we trust him completely. He is universally loved," they said.

With his simple ways and contagious cheerfulness, Bagagnan quickly conquered the local community. Indeed for the festival traditionally held during the first weekend of September, the captain of the local San Pietro district, Adriano Orlando, wanted him on his team.

Together with Massimo Iaciancio, he formed an all-migrant team which quickly gained the sympathy and support of most of the public. "It was a choice inspired by the heart and trust," explained Orlando. "We believed in them and they didn't disappoint us."