Where I come from, sports are vital to our wellbeing. Despite the crazy dramas and political/ethnic unrest that abounds, sports is probably the most unifying factor for us all; it's our rallying point. From football to basketball, athletics to handball, we are always involved. Even the less fancied ones like tennis, rugby, cricket, hockey, golf, motorsports, etc are gaining traction as we speak. Needless to say, an average Nigerian, especially the male folk, has a sports team he is affiliated to, either local or international.
And that's not to rule out the females because they are also fiercely involved in sporting activities. I couldn't stop laughing when a guy tried to mock some ladies for registering into this year's Fantasy Premier League. Well, that guy was savagely mocked by the ladies on the Discord channel. He definitely learnt a serious lesson never to count ladies out when discussing sports.
Anyway, I've always wondered why we are so emotionally invested in sports, especially football. Then I realised football, more than any other sport out there, is the one that has offered more routes to greatness for people with humble roots. As a matter of fact, a lot of top African and South American talents started from the bottom. Football is littered with more rags to riches story than any other sport out there. And that probably explains why it's like a religion in a country with more struggling folks than the financially stable ones.
In comparison with the individual sports, all you need to excel in football is talent, hard work, and maybe some amount of luck. It doesn't require one buying some ridiculously expensive materials thus making it accessible to both the rich and poor. When I was about 10 years old I told my dad I'd love to play tennis. He duly obliged by taking me to a tennis coach in our local sports complex. By the time we met the coach my tennis dream was virtually over.
The guy quoted some very high prices for tennis racquets and other training equipment. Immediately, my dad looked at me and was like, "My boy, choose another sport!" Well, even if I had become a tennis player I probably wouldn't make it that far because of the gross lack of facilities back then. So, no hard feelings. However, with football all you have to do is purchase a cheap ball and get some mates to play with. No matter how low grade the ball is you'll always find willing takers.
Considering the passion and emotions that goes into football, the one thing I can't keep myself from no matter how cash strapped I may be is paying to watch a football match. This may sound absurd but dudes from this region already know what I'm talking about. Summarily, to watch our favourite football teams on TV most people down here pay for it at the viewing centre. So, no matter how dead broke I may be, that amount to watch Manchester United will always be available. Heck, I've even watched on credit before.
