Babes, Booze and Basketball
Sep 02, 2010
ONCE a preserve of diehard fans, basketball games in Kampala today are social events for young people off pitch in as much as they are a sports activity on the pitch. You are more likely to bump into your favourite celebrity; dance to your favourite song or even bump into the girl of your dreams at
ONCE a preserve of diehard fans, basketball games in Kampala today are social events for young people off pitch in as much as they are a sports activity on the pitch. You are more likely to bump into your favourite celebrity; dance to your favourite song or even bump into the girl of your dreams at a basketball game than at a corporate cocktail writes SaM Jumbwike.
With sports events organisers introducing night games on their repertoire, basketball games in Kampala
have become more than just a game.
These games, which normally run from
Friday to Sunday and are played under the full glare of flood lights, are characterised by booming music, dunking competitions, shooting competitions, sexy cheer leaders, booze and Nyama Choma.
This genre of entertainment is fast gaining momentum and basketball perceivably being a game of the ‘elite and styled’, huge numbers of mainly university students, young corporates, educated musicians and civil servants (who at times come with their entire families) from across town, throng the YMCA court in Wandegeya, Kampala’s most popular basketball facility, to partake of the fun.
You can easily mistake the games for a fashion show as revellers come out in their very best designer labels, showing
off sleek cars. Then there are the well-built basketball players showcasing their latest dogs (sneakers) and well-toned muscles on
court.
Meanwhile, passionate fans cheer
their favourite teams on with vuvuzelas,
loud cheers, stamps and big bangs on the bill boards whenever extra ordinary moves are pulled on court.
These developments have not fazed the
quality of the game. If anything, we have
truly skilled talented players gracing the
game nowadays. Meanwhile, now there
is a whole new group of basketball fans
attending these games; fans who are not necessarily interested in the game per se.
You have the varsity students – hot
babes and dudes from Makerere, Kyambogo, Canvendish, Ndejje (Kampala campus) and Uganda Christian University, Mukono.
Granted some of these are supporters of their respective teams in the Federation of Uganda Basketball Association (FUBA) league.
However, a large number of them are
just out to have fun. In fact, to them, these games are a popular dating destination. Understandable so because, it only costs sh2,000 to enter a game; drinks are cheap (the league is sponsored by a soft drinks
company).
There is plenty of cheap food and liquor and the venue is located not far
from their respective universities.
Plus, the games, unlike most night events
in Kampala, end at 10:30pm, well above
curfew time in their hostels and halls of
residence.
Others strictly come to eat drink and
dance because they prefer having fun early in the night and retire early.
All this ‘happening’ is not limited to university students. Young corporates and civil servants use this as a rendezvous — a place they get together, relax, kick back and shake off the work pressure.
Parking is sufficient for those who drive. They also exchange gossip and ideas as they watch the games. Then of course there is the aspect of hooking up. This place is a haven of beauty — single and extremely attractive young ladies and men on the prowl. What do you expect?
To spice up all this are musicians like
rapper GNL Zamba, Navio, Raba Daba and Cindy, who also come to hang out with their peers. Some of them like Navio actually play basketball.
However, the biggest possible reason
for their presence is to market themselves. They probably acknowledge that the group that hangs out here constitutes their primary audience. At the moment, the basketball court at the YMCA rocks
With sports events organisers introducing night games on their repertoire, basketball games in Kampala
have become more than just a game.
These games, which normally run from
Friday to Sunday and are played under the full glare of flood lights, are characterised by booming music, dunking competitions, shooting competitions, sexy cheer leaders, booze and Nyama Choma.
This genre of entertainment is fast gaining momentum and basketball perceivably being a game of the ‘elite and styled’, huge numbers of mainly university students, young corporates, educated musicians and civil servants (who at times come with their entire families) from across town, throng the YMCA court in Wandegeya, Kampala’s most popular basketball facility, to partake of the fun.
You can easily mistake the games for a fashion show as revellers come out in their very best designer labels, showing
off sleek cars. Then there are the well-built basketball players showcasing their latest dogs (sneakers) and well-toned muscles on
court.
Meanwhile, passionate fans cheer
their favourite teams on with vuvuzelas,
loud cheers, stamps and big bangs on the bill boards whenever extra ordinary moves are pulled on court.
These developments have not fazed the
quality of the game. If anything, we have
truly skilled talented players gracing the
game nowadays. Meanwhile, now there
is a whole new group of basketball fans
attending these games; fans who are not necessarily interested in the game per se.
You have the varsity students – hot
babes and dudes from Makerere, Kyambogo, Canvendish, Ndejje (Kampala campus) and Uganda Christian University, Mukono.
Granted some of these are supporters of their respective teams in the Federation of Uganda Basketball Association (FUBA) league.
However, a large number of them are
just out to have fun. In fact, to them, these games are a popular dating destination. Understandable so because, it only costs sh2,000 to enter a game; drinks are cheap (the league is sponsored by a soft drinks
company).
There is plenty of cheap food and liquor and the venue is located not far
from their respective universities.
Plus, the games, unlike most night events
in Kampala, end at 10:30pm, well above
curfew time in their hostels and halls of
residence.
Others strictly come to eat drink and
dance because they prefer having fun early in the night and retire early.
All this ‘happening’ is not limited to university students. Young corporates and civil servants use this as a rendezvous — a place they get together, relax, kick back and shake off the work pressure.
Parking is sufficient for those who drive. They also exchange gossip and ideas as they watch the games. Then of course there is the aspect of hooking up. This place is a haven of beauty — single and extremely attractive young ladies and men on the prowl. What do you expect?
To spice up all this are musicians like
rapper GNL Zamba, Navio, Raba Daba and Cindy, who also come to hang out with their peers. Some of them like Navio actually play basketball.
However, the biggest possible reason
for their presence is to market themselves. They probably acknowledge that the group that hangs out here constitutes their primary audience. At the moment, the basketball court at the YMCA rocks