Nyanya field: Where the business of keeping fit thrives

A visitor coming into Abuja on a weekday morning from the Abuja-Keffi axis is bound to notice the Mararaba-Nyanya legendary rush hour traffic. The traffic stretches for kilometres that a first time visitor would be amazed at the number of people heading into the nation’s capital from the suburbs; and would, of course, expect to […]

A visitor coming into Abuja on a weekday morning from the Abuja-Keffi axis is bound to notice the Mararaba-Nyanya legendary rush hour traffic. The traffic stretches for kilometres that a first time visitor would be amazed at the number of people heading into the nation’s capital from the suburbs; and would, of course, expect to see the cause of the traffic, which most often is nothing.
Fast-forward to a weekend morning. It is not business as usual. A walking distance from the ‘Goodbye from Nasarawa’ checkpoint,  residents troop out en masse to observe their weekend routine – ‘keeping fit’ at the community field few metres away from the Abuja-Keffi expressway and a stone-throw from the Mopol Junction pedestrian bridge.
The fitness enthusiasts range from children who are still learning to walk, adolescents who are finding themselves, teenagers who can’t wait for adulthood, young adults bursting with zest for life, adults who are looking forward to retirement, and the retired who are on their way to becoming senior citizens.
At the community field, there is something for everyone as the coach of Glo Football Club, nicknamed Okocha, explains that the field is the only place his team would practise despite its poor condition. And they share practice time with several other clubs that take turns to use the pitch for sessions according to a timetable.
Aside from those who play for teams, at the top end of the field, there are those who play the five-aside football game for fun as a way of keeping fit. Moses Ogbonaya, who comes there to play three times in a week said: “I do my exercise by playing football. I don’t like the structured conventional football because there are plenty players. I opt for the five-aside kind that will make me exercise.”
He dreads falling on the unevenly graded field while playing, as that will result into serious injuries, he explained.
On the right hand side of the five-aside game is an aerobic workout session, where members who register for a token, after running several laps round the field, converge to burn out calories, or at least have the satisfaction of doing the needful.
“We do aerobics, sit-ups, stretching and massaging,” said Timi, one of the five aerobics class instructors. He explained that it was not a one-man business, and it has been profitable even though passion has been the main motivation.
The challenge, he adds, is that “members don’t show up all the time, most especially at weekdays, and this reduces morale.”
Jennifer Meriam, who has been attending the aerobics classes for several months, said she feels better any time she comes to the Nyanya field to “jog, take aerobics classes and get massages.” She goes out every morning, except on Sundays. She said the number of people in the field would not affect her; instead “they serve as a source of inspiration.”
Further up is a local gym shed, where people interested in building up their six-packs, or just toning up their muscles, gleefully lift weight, do stretches or drag heavy metals in different positions. The gym, which is headed by a retired national and African middleweight wrestling champion, Alhaji Shehu T. Ayinla, popularly known as Ariba Swan, also caters for amateur wrestlers and boxers.
Swan explained that as a retired wrestler, he had to do something in line with what he knows, adding that he had some of the equipment from his wrestling days. He feels that locating his gym at a sporting field is strategic and beneficial as “someone who comes to play football might decide to join the gym.”
Even though it has been a profitable venture, Swan laments that the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) task force keeps pulling down his structures. He, however, appealed to the government to come to the aid of sportsmen “by giving us a permanent place. Every person cannot be a government worker.”
For Nyanya residents who are not interested in the gym, aerobics or chasing after a ball, there are a number of bicycles to rent. Several cyclists could be spotted cycling round the field.
As the aerobics class rounds off, volleyball players, who are usually the last to arrive, would warm up as they await the court to be vacated.
Coach of the volleyball team, Nyana Spikers, Simon Ojeta, said they train in the morning at weekends and evening during the weekdays. He stated that the team was not just about  playing volleyball, but also about “keeping these young boys and girls off the streets by keeping them occupied, as well as getting placements for some, and jobs for others.’’
The major problem for Nyanya Spikers, aside from funding, is having a standard playing court as they have to share the only court with one of the aerobics classes.
The coach said both gender trained on the same court, which is not the standard practice, but they are, however, working on getting another court for women.
Sitting on the sidelines on a log of woods resting on stones at the place where the bleachers should have been, are persons who are not interested in participating in any sporting activity. They get their thrills from being spectators.
Children are not left out, as toddlers can be seen jogging with their parents. Of course, some of these parents jog at a very slow pace to let the children catch up with them. And the children are occasionally lifted.
Eight-year-old Blessing and her sibling stopped to get their breath after going two laps round the field. She said she frequented the field on Saturday mornings and more frequently during holidays. She lives nearby.
Another runner, Mr. Kehinde, said he chose the Nyanya field to exercise because the number of people around encouraged him to continue even when fatigue set in.
Steve Dennis, who plays football, said he also found time to play table tennis.
It was, however, observed that not all the people at the field are cheering spectators. Some of them go there to provide essential services and catch the early morning brisk business. They include cobblers, beverages vendors and people selling sporting gears like shoes, jerseys, socks and more.
Have no fear when your training shoes give in as Hassan Musa, a cobbler, is there to mend them for you, while Abubakar is usually ready to sell his socks, hand-gloves, handkerchiefs, headbands and more.
Adejo Charity, a herbal tea vendor, comes in the morning to make some quick sales before going to her place of business.
As dawn gives way to day, those who sell breakfast or breakfast condiments set up their wares of bean cake (akara), fried yams, tea, cooked noodles and much more. Beside their stand is a man who sells different kinds of running and training shoes.
A member of the committee who manages the field, Raymond Linus, explained how the land came to be used as sporting field and how they maintain order.
“This place that serves as a sporting complex was once a bushy place for dumping garbage. But during the time of Nasir el-Rufai as minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it was cleared. We decided to start a committee called Nyanya Old Stars. We used it for football practice, then later volleyball. With time we introduced different sports,” Linus explains.
He adds that the committee is in charge of maintaining the field schedule, allotment, practice and training time for organised sports and other activities. It also hosts different competitions.
Their source of fund is from churches that use the space for programmes like weddings, crusades; as well as telecoms companies, marketing, political gathering and freewill donations, he explained.
Shedrack Dawel, chairman of the Nyanya Old Stars, said their major challenge is encroachment: “We have the problem of encroachment, as some ‘moneybags’ always try to claim the space, saying it has been allocated to them. This sports centre helps to reduce crime as it is a place for these youths to properly channel their energies.”
He adds that: “It will, therefore, be unfortunate for us to lose this place, which is the only legitimate rallying point in this locality.”