BY CAINE CORREA
The city’s Asian sports lovers young and old, are once again caught up in the thrill and excitement of the once-every-two-years Festival of Friendship affectionately dubbed FOF. Pitting all of twenty Asian communities’ sports elites in friendly battles indoors and outdoors against each other. Each community’s contingent, resplendent in its club colours and cheered on by their clansmen, paraded into Nairobi Sikh Union’s spacious main field, jam packed for the opening ceremony, on 9th November, 2019. As day turned to dusk all of twenty communities’ sportsmen, women and youth decked out in their finery, some in cultural attire, proudly marched past the cheering audience. Chairperson of the event Champa Varsani set off proceedings perfectly with an opening prayer especially articulated for the event. After Aneez Rahimtula’s opening remarks, beneath a mellow moon Eesha Jobanputra put the icing on the occasion’s cake with a vocally melodious 2-song stage performance, many of the audience happily crooning along with her. Earlier in the day the extravaganza’s sporting activities had bowled off with cricket and field hockey. This edition’s cricket 6-a-side competition played on Sikh Union’s plush astro turf featured six Under14 teams, six Over40 sides and 32 teams in the main event. South Indian Society youngsters beat Maharashtra Mandals to take the U14 trophy. The elder Over40 final was contested between Kenya Bengals and the Shree Navnat Vanik Mahajan sides. The latter won by 15 runs. In the hockey main event Ramgharia Youth Association Pumas beat the Sunni Punjabi Organisation squad to clinch the title. Golf was scheduled for the next day, whilst this week was booked for table tennis and bowling with darts, pool, rounders and kabaddi, Saturday’s highlights and archery, bridge and cycling cresting Sunday. Squash, volleyball and badminton take centre stage Week 3, with the snooker and carrom competitions on that weekend. Make your way to the various community club venues to mingle happily with a jovial cross section of Nairobi Asians. You’re sure to enjoy the congenial but always competitive sporting action.