Whether it is a safari rally or a rugby match, sport has a way of bringing hundreds of Kenyans together. It may be for the love of the game, or perhaps for others for the merrymaking that usually follows

The just-concluded Dala Sevens, National Sevens Circuit, lived up to expectations, at least during the after party and depending on who you ask.

The early morning kickoff was followed by louder cheers in the evening as most fans made their way to the stadium after midday.

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The morning hours were characterised by mild cheers from the few fans in the crowd and teams supporting each other.

Mtaa Wangu spoke to some of the fans who trickled into the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium towards the end of the dala sevens final to get an insight into why most people turn out in large numbers in the evening.

"Dala Sevens is always a buzz. I always want to get there early, but I can only get to the games after my 4pm shift. That means I can only watch a couple of games and then go to the after party. Something I always look forward to at the Dala Sevens," says Jackline Mumbi, a Kisumu resident.

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A group of teenagers I meet jamming to an Amapiano song in one of the party tents say that what brought them from Naivasha to Kisumu was the sherehe atmosphere that comes with being in Kisumu city and by extension the Dala Sevens.

"We are here to party and nothing beats the electric atmosphere at Dala Sevens. Dj Scratch, the in-house DJ at this after party has good mixes. We have had two days of pure bliss," says one of the group.

While the emphasis is on partying hard, there are those whose teams were knocked out early on the first day, so their motivation to come early and watch the game was dampened.

Michael, who was supporting Nondescripts, says that after they missed out on their quarter-final chances on the first day of the leg, he was demotivated.

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"As a fan I was disappointed with their performance. I was left with the option of chilling on the field and looking for the next team to root for as mine went out early," says Michael in a sad tone.

In the end, everyone had their own agenda, there were those who came just to party, while the die-hard rugby fans did their best to make it to the stadium to catch a glimpse of the games, however late it was.

Wanjirukinuthia20@gmail.com

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