The shortage of football pitches in Nairobi will be alleviated somehow after Jaffery's Sports Club added another ground to its sporting facilities to cater for the growing demand for sports diversity.
The astro turf football pitch was officially launched by the club's chairman, business mogul Naushad Merali. Club's secretary Mukhtar Assaria said the football pitch will be open for use to members of the public.
“There is a shortage of football pitches in the country hence the need to construct the pitch to meet the growing demand by many people, corporates and teams who feel like kicking their ball in both competitive and recreational soccer,” said Mukhtar.
Clubs in Nairobi have had to contend with using the Camp Toyoyo turf with others forced to take their matches outside the capital to Machakos, Narok and Nakuru counties due to the shortage of suitable pitches.Nyayo Stadium and City stadium have been closed for renovations for the last two years. Assaria revealed that the Jaffery's Sports Club management will be charging between Sh2,000-6,000 per hour for its use.
He said the main pitch was strictly for cricket and since it was accredited by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and rules forbid them from converting the pitch into any other use including football. The pitch took a period of six months to be constructed at a cost of Sh10 million and has been installed with floodlights and can host events and matches at night.