Rise of artificial arenas allows the busy to keep fit

[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ong days at work can be considerably hectic and gets one to a point they feel the need to blow off some steam. While drinking and partying is some people’s way of relieving work stress, others prefer engaging in activities that are beneficial to the body or rather cannot be harmful to one’s health. The coming up of astroturf arenas has proven to be a nice idea for the working class as they can now engage in fitness sessions.

Sports enthusiasts, who previously had no or less time to even do exercises, are now able to do so thanks to the coming of these arenas that cater to the working class. The astroturfs are coming in with a big wave in Nairobi as more people are continuously intrigued by these pitches.

Mostly designed for five a side matches, the 12m by 25m caged grounds now give everyone an opportunity to stretch your muscle. Considering the fact that the matches are played between colleagues, you do not have to worry about your soccer skills all you need to do is run around. Fitness is a priority and the astroturf fields give you the arena to prioritize fitness.

The number of these arenas is continuously increasing as city dwellers from all over Nairobi result to exercising and keeping fit. It goes without saying that we all need to exercise for the sake of our own health. This has been advised widely and most people who exercise ‘feel like they’ve made it in life’ because of the health advantages they have over children of the ”‘Tusker Chapo”’ diet.

What is it with these arenas that everyone is suddenly obsessed with them? Even those who don’t have the tiniest of clues on how to play football. For one, it is an exercising platform that allows you to exercise while still having fun. Running solo around the estate at 5 am is not only tiring but also boring unlike playing soccer with compatriots at 10:00 pm.

Business has been booming for the owners of these arenas as most pitches are fully booked in the evenings and throughout the weekends. The bigger percentage of their customers being the working class, who cannot find any other time to exercise. The presence of floodlights makes the arenas available either day and night with different arenas having different closing times. It cannot be impossible for them to bend some rules and make changes in their closing time at the request of their clients. If you are paid enough, extending a few minutes to let a group of CEOs finish their games won’t hurt.

Samuel Kinyanjui, who runs the Ambassadors football arena in Imara Daima, says he receives community teams, individuals and Corporate teams to the stadium every weekend. Even though Samuel is yet to receive the high returns he anticipates, he has seen the potential of the business growing.

“We haven’t seen the high returns side of it but there is an opportunity for it to grow. With the small fields, it is hard to expect instant high returns due to its demand and clients. I would recommend people to invest on bigger fields especially in Nairobi, demand is high” Sam told business today.

Ambassadors football is a global Christian ministry that has established astroturf arenas in 29 countries worldwide, spread in every continent.

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“We would love to continue building more fields in the communities, by this we believe we give chances to players and individuals to play and develop their football skills on better and safe fields,” Samuel commented.