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| Columns |
| Gracian Tukula’s SPORT ON |
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by
Gracian Tukula, 12 June 2006
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07:15:15
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The catch made my day
Escom made my day on Thursday. They promised uninterrupted power supply throughout the duration of the World Cup. Nothing could be sweeter music to a soccer fan’s ear. But there is a catch. Forget everything else between 5 and 8 pm. No heaters, no ironing, no kettles. That is not all. No cooking.
That reminds me of stories my Mum told me about the early Christians. In committed compliance with the Commandment that compels Christians to sanctify the worshipping day, be it Saturday or Sunday, the people were cooking the previous day. Only eating, which was not considered as work, was allowed on the holy day.
I am not sure how Escom’s instructions will help people who host hordes of neighbours yearning to follow the action on the screen. I am reliably told that it is always a problem when dinner coincides with a match. People reportedly use all antics to invite each other to meals without the knowledge of their ‘guests’.
Yes, England’s Wayne Rooney has been cleared to play some part in the competition, after all, should the Three Lions make it beyond the group stages. The sad part of this piece of good news to England fans, including my Dad, is that it has meant Jermain Defoe flying back home. He must be cursing his gods.
As usual, the English will go into this afternoon’s clash with Paraguay full of confidence. They always believe they should win and the subsequent weight of pressure has always been too much for them. Such is the level of expectation back home that even defeat in the final will be regarded as failure. I don’t envy them.
While most leagues are off to pave way to the global showpiece, the local league is still running and I have been getting many messages from people complaining about poor standards of officiation in most games. It is difficult for me to take a position on the specific incidents because I did not watch the matches.
Suffice it to say that rules of the game have been very dynamic and I am not sure if everybody is keeping pace with the developments. I remember reading that Sulom gathered referees before the season kicked off to make sure that the standards improve and officiation does not negatively affect the flow of the game.
What I have not heard is whether all club officials, players and supporters know the rules of the game as they stand today. Is there a way Fam or Sulom could intervene in bridging the knowledge gap so that there should be no-one creating controversy where none existed? This I say while giving referees full benefit of doubt.
By the way, can someone clear the air on who exactly is running Big Bullets? Depending on which paper you read or radio station you listen to, it is either Hossam Jussab’s group managing affairs or the other group spearheaded by Krishna Achuthan. When you talk to different sets of fans the scenario is no better.
While such comic situations make the job of journalists easier and reading more interesting, they are not good for the game. The club may have won seven titles on the bounce and is well on course for another successful tilt but one thing it should get as a matter of urgency is sanity. This virtue seems to be in very short supply.
––Feedback: gtukula@yahoo.co.uk or atukula@hotmail.com
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