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Whag’ Wa Mon - Jamaica and the Cricket World Cup

By: Sambol :+: Under: Cricket, Sports, World Cup 2007
On: ⋅ April 3, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment
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The Party Stands - My home for the opening game.

Location: Jamaica, Kingston
Time: 3:30 a.m.

Dolo: “You going to be ready tomorrow morning?” (of course not sober at all!)
Me: “What? oh what time?” (by this time did not understand what sober meant!!)
Dolo: “Get your brown a… to my front porch by 7:00?”
Me: “In the morning?”
Dolo: “Whag Wa mon, you think they play cricket at night?”
Me: ” Seven in the morning!!! That is ungodly man, what the heck the game starts at 10??!!”
Dolo: ” To step into a Godly ground you have to wake up at an ungodly hour….don’t sleep, dont be late I will leave your a.. walks to Sabina! ”

Thus started my Cricket World Cup adventure in Kingston. To begin with I have to go back to my arrival in Jamaica. Since I have a Sri Lankan passport, entering any country has been anything but smooth. I expected the same in this tiny Island nation. However when the immigration officer took my passport he had a smile on his face. He looked up and said “Sri Lanka ?”. I nodded. “You think you guys will make it” I replied, “Make it!! You know we are gonna win it”. He immediately laughed looked at the adjoining cubicle and said “I like Sri Lankan attitude mon, Welcome to Jamaica” STAMP!!! Wow now that was a welcome.

For any cricket fan certain grounds around the world are known as gods country. Eden Garden in India, MCG in Australia, Lords in England, Wanderers in South Africa, Oval in Trinidad and Sabina Park in Jamaica, have been part of my life since a very young age. Stories of the great games being played in these venues were handed down from my grandfather, father and various uncles who watched and followed cricket. Although we see the venues on television, I never thought I would actually make it to any game in any of these venues. So for a humble bloke like me to actually see a game in Sabina Park, but not only a game THE opening game of the world cup, was a dream come true.

Sabina Park is located smack in the center of a populated area in West Kingston. Unlike the grounds in Sri Lanka, the stadium is hidden amongst the many residential houses. To enter the ground one has to walk through small alleys and streets. But once you come close to the main gate, the stadium looms above our heads. I remember walking into the stadium and Dolo saying,” son you are stepping into hallowed ground”. And when one walks in, the sense of this being special place in history becomes very much apparent. One feels cricket, when one steps through the main gates.
Once I entered the stadium, I was awed by the sight in front of me. There on the ground running around were the Goliaths of the game. Lara, Sarwan, Gayle, Inzi, Yusuf, Chaunderpaul etc…I even saw Sarwan’s earing!!!. I stood there for a good 30 minutes just observing the players, taking in the surrounding, and dancing with the flag waving fans of cricket. I knew then what Dolo meant but hallowed ground.

I had no idea how the seating arrangements were going to work. Hence I went to one of the usher’s for help. She took me right next to the boundary, seat 1 row 1. I looked at my ticket which said row 1 seat 19!!! She looked at me,” don’t worry mon just sit and enjoy the game, this is Jamaica and this is how it works”. I guess they printed the tickets just for fun!! Thus I was sitting next to a Jamaican on my right and an Indian to my left. Life was fabulous. Now to get some food. Hey my stories never end without drama. And that is when the drama began.

Game time 9:30 and I was hungry by 9:00. Since the red stripe girls were already out spreading the brew I decided to go hit the KFC booth before getting hammered. I wanted to try some Jamaican KFC. However, the girl kindly explained to me and the rest of the crowd that they had run out of chicken!! The Jamaican behind me was quick to react, “What mon you KFC and you run out of chicken already!!” he turned around looked at me and said “Welcome to Jamaica mon, these bombo’s duno how to kill chicken!!” All I could do was laugh. Thus I gave up on the food, went straight for three red stripes and settled down for the mighty World Cup to start.

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