The Game of Fives
Not exactly an accurate depiction, but a lunch time conversation went something like this; " Me : So have you been to Nigeria? Partner : Interestingly, I have. Been quite a long time now, over twenty years ago, (pause) for a sport. Other Partner : What sport? Partner : Fives! Me and other Partner : What's that...? " [Katsina: Image sourced from Reuters] I'm not sure how many of you are like me and have never heard of the game of Fives until today. But I'm glad the other British partner was as oblivious as I was. What was intended to be a question for small talk ended up being my education about a game largely unknown even in the U.K. To be honest, I was intrigued; because he went on to say a game of Fives attracted more fans in Nigeria than it did in the UK at the time, which was quite interesting for a game invented in the UK. So the game of Fives is very much like the game of Squash, it involves hitting a ball against a wall, bu