Get the right kit to enjoy football
Sep 20, 2007
A LARGE number of Ugandans from all walks of life take time off to play football. <br>Yet, unfortunately, many of them are denied that thrill by sheer lack of the necessary football kit and often the venture ends up becoming an ugly experience of discomfort and torment. <br>
By Joseph Ssemutooke
A LARGE number of Ugandans from all walks of life take time off to play football.
Yet, unfortunately, many of them are denied that thrill by sheer lack of the necessary football kit and often the venture ends up becoming an ugly experience of discomfort and torment.
Which is why any soccer player, whether regular or occasional, ought to have the necessary kit if they are to enjoy playing the game. You should have a nice pair of soccer boots, socks, a jersey and where possible, a pair of shin guards.
Boots are essential if you are to have a good time on the pitch. Apart from shielding your feet from exposure to physical damage (say by stones on the ground), they will save you from experiencing the discomfort that comes with kicking the ball with bare feet. They can be purchased from sports equipment dealers.
At EuroAsia Sports Centre along Kampala Road, they cost from as low as sh40,000 to sh100,000, depending on the manufacturer and size. They cost about the same price in other sports houses like Katumwa, Asiatic and M.K Sports Centres. In such shops you can attain the best quality boots and sizeable discounts if you buy in bulk — say for a school team.
If you cannot raise that much, downtown dealers are an alternative, where you could acquire a good pair for sh30,000. At St. Balikuddembe Market and other large markets, a pair can be bought at about sh20,000.
When buying a pair of boots, put the manufacturer into consideration. Often, the boots’ longevity and comfort depends on the brand. Puma, Nike and Adidas are popular brands. Also, beware of duplicates. Other good brands include Lotto, Umbro and Kappa.
On the kind of spikes to buy, you will need to consider the kind of ground on your pitch. Short rubber spikes suit soft grounds covered with grass, while flat-soled, spikeless shoes, commonly known as fairplays, work well on hard grounds with no grass.
For grounds with scanty grass, go for long, metallic spikes as short rubber spikes and fairplays may turn out slippery on such grounds.
Ensure that the boots’ leather is of good quality and that the boots fit your feet well. Ill-fitting shoes may damage your feet, apart from being uncomfortable when you are playing.
Do not adhere to the temptation of wearing the boots without socks. Apart from making you look smart, socks act as a form of protective covering.
In sports houses uptown, they range between sh10,000 and 30,000. Downtown, they cost between sh3,000 and sh10,000. Remember proper football socks should cover the entire length of your calfs.
But the socks alone are not thick enough to guarantee complete safety of your legs. So, you will need shin guards to provide a hard protective wall.
Shin guards come in different forms and sizes.
Their prices range from sh20,000 upward. On a good day, you may find a pair downtown (especially at St. Balikuddembe market), from about sh10,000 upwards.
Shin-guards should not limit your agility on the pitch, so go for the light kind, at the same time make sure they are big enough to cover your shins properly.
You could further protect your knees with knee-caps which you can acquire from major sports houses at sh15,000.
Football jerseys can be got anywhere. Be sure not to play in trousers and shirts with buttons.
Good football shirts cost from as low as sh6,000 in downtown markets to as much as sh70,000 uptown.
Shorts come even cheaper, from about sh2,500 downtown to sh40,000 uptown.
Armed with the right ‘armour’, you will not fail to enjoy playing football.
While certain that your body is guarded, you will also look smart on the pitch.
Football Kit Essentials
Boots
Socks
Jersey
Shin guards
Knee caps
A LARGE number of Ugandans from all walks of life take time off to play football.
Yet, unfortunately, many of them are denied that thrill by sheer lack of the necessary football kit and often the venture ends up becoming an ugly experience of discomfort and torment.
Which is why any soccer player, whether regular or occasional, ought to have the necessary kit if they are to enjoy playing the game. You should have a nice pair of soccer boots, socks, a jersey and where possible, a pair of shin guards.
Boots are essential if you are to have a good time on the pitch. Apart from shielding your feet from exposure to physical damage (say by stones on the ground), they will save you from experiencing the discomfort that comes with kicking the ball with bare feet. They can be purchased from sports equipment dealers.
At EuroAsia Sports Centre along Kampala Road, they cost from as low as sh40,000 to sh100,000, depending on the manufacturer and size. They cost about the same price in other sports houses like Katumwa, Asiatic and M.K Sports Centres. In such shops you can attain the best quality boots and sizeable discounts if you buy in bulk — say for a school team.
If you cannot raise that much, downtown dealers are an alternative, where you could acquire a good pair for sh30,000. At St. Balikuddembe Market and other large markets, a pair can be bought at about sh20,000.
When buying a pair of boots, put the manufacturer into consideration. Often, the boots’ longevity and comfort depends on the brand. Puma, Nike and Adidas are popular brands. Also, beware of duplicates. Other good brands include Lotto, Umbro and Kappa.
On the kind of spikes to buy, you will need to consider the kind of ground on your pitch. Short rubber spikes suit soft grounds covered with grass, while flat-soled, spikeless shoes, commonly known as fairplays, work well on hard grounds with no grass.
For grounds with scanty grass, go for long, metallic spikes as short rubber spikes and fairplays may turn out slippery on such grounds.
Ensure that the boots’ leather is of good quality and that the boots fit your feet well. Ill-fitting shoes may damage your feet, apart from being uncomfortable when you are playing.
Do not adhere to the temptation of wearing the boots without socks. Apart from making you look smart, socks act as a form of protective covering.
In sports houses uptown, they range between sh10,000 and 30,000. Downtown, they cost between sh3,000 and sh10,000. Remember proper football socks should cover the entire length of your calfs.
But the socks alone are not thick enough to guarantee complete safety of your legs. So, you will need shin guards to provide a hard protective wall.
Shin guards come in different forms and sizes.
Their prices range from sh20,000 upward. On a good day, you may find a pair downtown (especially at St. Balikuddembe market), from about sh10,000 upwards.
Shin-guards should not limit your agility on the pitch, so go for the light kind, at the same time make sure they are big enough to cover your shins properly.
You could further protect your knees with knee-caps which you can acquire from major sports houses at sh15,000.
Football jerseys can be got anywhere. Be sure not to play in trousers and shirts with buttons.
Good football shirts cost from as low as sh6,000 in downtown markets to as much as sh70,000 uptown.
Shorts come even cheaper, from about sh2,500 downtown to sh40,000 uptown.
Armed with the right ‘armour’, you will not fail to enjoy playing football.
While certain that your body is guarded, you will also look smart on the pitch.
Football Kit Essentials
Boots
Socks
Jersey
Shin guards
Knee caps