On slippery ground
It’s our first time playing soap football and we spend most of the one hour bent over double, holding our sides in laughter. It began in all seriousness, with game plans and little soapy diagrams on one end of the ‘pitch’; within a few minutes this has all deteriorated into an experience that can only be described as amateur hour on a giant, slippery monster that would barely let you walk, let alone run on it. It’s great fun, though.
Head to CR & FC for a game of soap football and (right) the man who brought the experience to local audiences: Murtaza
Soap football may be new to Sri Lanka, but it’s already popular in the Gulf, says Murtaza Kothari, owner of The Weekend Rush-the company responsible for the giant inflatable pitches (adult bouncy castles, to give you a better idea) on one end of the CR & FC Grounds in Colombo. Murtaza grew up in Kuwait, where the recreational activity is extremely popular, and when he moved to Sri Lanka with his parents a couple of years back he was keen on bringing the experience to local audiences.
After a little test run in Dehiwala, the fully fledged operations of Weekend Rush found their home in the heart of Colombo 7 at the CR & FC Grounds. Getting to the pitch is easy-just walk past the grounds and spectator podium to the other end of the premises and it won’t be hard to find the bright blue playing fields.
The game is fairly simple. Soap football operates on the same rules as a regular game of football-two teams, one ball and two goalposts to defend. Simple enough, right? That’s essentially where the football we all know sort of comes to a standstill, and the fun begins. The ‘pitch’ is a massive inflatable adult bouncy castle filled with soap water, and one wrong turn is all you need to land on your bottom with a resounding splash. Try executing fancy footwork whilst avoiding your next fall, we dare you!
It’s all in the name of good fun though. The pitch is heavily padded to ensure safety and the padding is regularly serviced and changed to ensure quality. They have an emergency medical contact enlisted to assist in case of a serious injury-although if you’re with friends and are careful not to run about too much on the pitch this shouldn’t be an issue.
As for the reception it has received so far, we’re told that it’s been very positive. They’re regularly booked over on weekends-sessions can go on till 2 a.m. in the morning during this time. Usually the pitch is open from 10 am on every day of the week; charges are Rs. 600 on weekdays and Rs. 700 on weekends. Come early to ensure you get your one hour’s worth, and bring a change of clothes and a towel. A group of 10 adults (six minimum) can comfortably play a game, while 14 is the maximum number, if a bit of a squeeze.
Murtaza says he hopes to take the venture to Kandy or another location in Colombo soon. He’s happy with how it has gone so far and seems keen to expand into other recreational activities that he thinks his customers will appreciate. For the time being, it’s just the two inflatable pitches at CR-we’re not complaining, for soap football may just turn out to be our new favourite pastime!