By Valentine Marc Nkwame
Phew! At last, the Euro 2004 soccer madness is over. Good riddance, I mean, we haven’t been hearing anything else for the last four weeks expect; Czechoslovakia, Portugal, Jose-Alvado and Lisbon.
Why make so much fuss about Jose-Alvado when we’ve got our own stadium here in Arusha?
Well in case you didn’t know, this currently cold town also has its own stadium. The stadium is located adjacent to both Makongoro and Col. Middleton roads ... At least it was still standing there, by the time we went to press.
Despite being called Sheikh Amri Abeid, the stadium has nothing to do with Abeid Amani Karume, the first President of Zanzibar or his son, Amani Abeid Karume, the sixth President of Zanzibar .... It will also have nothing to do with the Isles 16th president.
In fact, the stadium has nothing to do with anybody at all and nobody has nothing to do with the stadium either.
Due to that therefore, the stadium is now like a cookie in a steaming cup of tea, soon to crumble down .. About time too!
Shaped like an old fashioned loaf of bread and spotting the pale-greyish colour of a sick elephant, the stadium has about seven gates.
Of course if you happen to be in a hurry, there is no need to use any of the gates, just jump over the walls and ... Well, you are inside.
That is if you really need to be inside. Apparently, most people here have discovered that, matches being played in the stadium can be viewed better from outside.
All one has to do is put on high heeled shoes and stand outside, or better still, peep through any of the king sized cracks, running vertically round the stadium walls.
Even the badly worn out, tin gates provide dramatic views of the stadium through holes big enough to allow a camel to pass.
In fact, one of the gates also serves as a Urinal, which means, Sheikh Amri Abeid must be the only stadium in the world, which offers facilities that allow one to watch the game as he empties the bladder at the same time.
Now, this shouldn’t mean that, our stadium doesn’t have toilets. Far from it. Sheikh Amri Abeid has three large toilets; one in Platform A, another in Platform B and the third in Platform C.
All the toilets are Combo. That is they all cater for gents and ladies indiscriminately. Sheikh Amri Abeid is also the world’s first stadium to practise Gender balance .... Or Danger balance.
Therefore, you shouldn’t be surprised upon entering the toilets, to find a gentleman zipping up his trousers at one corner and a lady zipping down her skirt at another.
As we have just seen, the stadium has various platforms the "Jukwaa A", "Jukwaa B" and "Jukwaa C", plus the "Mzunguko" rounded platforms that face the sun in the evening.
Now since most matches are played in the evening, fans who sit on those God forsaken platforms may either have to wear sunglasses ... Or watch the games from outside.
"Jukwaa A! Is the only roofed podium at the stadium, partially roofed anyway, with wooden placards nailed on the floor to serve as seats.
Those seats happened to have been nailed there about 30 years ago and the rusty nails have since started to project upwards.
Mind you, the "Jukwaa A" was also specially meant for the "Waheshimiwa" or the Guests of honour. So you shouldn’t be surprised to see a fat honourable walking around with trousers that are torn apart at the back, following an "official opening" of a not so friendly match, at the stadium.
Love it or hate it. Arusha has its own stadium and God willing the town may even host the 2006 Euro cup .... Sorry, Afro Cup.
That is if the stadium braves the urine being sprayed on its walls, Erotica in its toilets, huge cracks and protruding nails from its floors.
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Last
modified:
July 02, 2004
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