Hurray! The scorum community contest is back again and this time we're pouring out our passion about our "FAVORITE STADIUM." I've once taken part in this contest and it was about my "Favorite Athlete," trust me it was fun. However, this time, 'am not gonna be traveling beyond the borders to pick my favorite stadium. Being an amateur footballer, there couldn't have been a better stadium for me than my home stadium where I've come to build my passion for some years now. Can You guess? Well, it's "The University Of Nigeria Stadium."

It's certainly not one of those popular stadia many would have expected me to mention, I understand. Being a Barcelona fan, some would have expected Camp Nou to be my favorite stadium. Others may have expected me to call anything not far from The Maracana stadium in Rio De Janeiro in Brazil or Even Wembley in England. Basically because these are stadia where the biggest games and moments in football have been felt, ranging from World Cup Finals to UEFA champions league finals.

The University Of Nigeria Stadium is my favorite stadium because of the direct connection I have with the pitch and my best moments as an amateur footballer have been on the mini-stadium. After I was offered admission to further my degree studies few years ago, It didn't take long for the school coach to invite me to one of the school team training session. He had spotted me some days back with my colleagues playing football on a sandy plain, and felt I could be an asset to the team if I was offered a chance.

I fell in love with the pitch the first day I stepped on it, though it wasn't easy playing myself into the team. The stadium is located in the Heart of Enugu State metropolis, a southeastern part of Nigeria. The UNEC stadium as it's fondly called was one of those stadia where the Nigerian Under 17 contingents had their training session when the country hosted the tournament in 2009. Apart from playing host to some of Nigeria's professional players from time to time, the stadium also serves as an alternative pitch for Rangers Football Club any time their home stadium (Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium) is under renovation.

I can still recall, some defunct teams like Crime Busters FC, UNTH FC and even Relaxer FC used to play their national league games at the UNEC synthetic pitch. Yeah, the mini-stadium is made of an artificial turf. For one to use this stadium for training, he has to pay the sum of 3,000 Naira, and 5,000 Naira for a Match. The administrators use these funds generated to maintain the stadium and keep it on a usable condition. However, the students of the University are allowed to use the pitch without payments on Wednesdays.

The pitch affords me the opportunity to interact with professional players before and after their training sessions. It's always a nice feeling and helps me get better myself. The University Of Nigeria Enugu Campus(UNEC) stadium remains my favorite because this is where I have made a name for myself, and I've enjoyed the cheers and ovation of the fans on this pitch the more. I can still recall my first goal on the stadium, it was memorable and I wish it could be replayed.

Three years ago, during the annual intra-University games, I was opportune to feature for my Departmental team. For me, it was one of my biggest games, basically because of the intimidating mammoth crowd that were present. But the pitch was friendly to me, and I was happy to score my first free-kick in the University on the stadium. It was one of my greatest moments and I couldn't believe the crowd were actually clapping for me. I will later go on to win the award for the "Sportsman of the Year."

Receiving The Sportsman Of The Year Award (3 years ago)

This stadium have left me with mixed memories. It's my favorite not only because it's the pitch that brought me to limelight in the University, but also the pitch that I've had one of my worst football moments. Have you ever missed a penalty in a football final before? Well, I've suffered that fate when it was least expected. I felt the hurt for days and it took me weeks to forgive myself. In all, the University Of Nigeria Enugu Campus mini-stadium remains favorite and these experiences will not be forgotten in a while.

Few Words of mine...

Before I call it a wrap, I wish to squeeze out some few lines to commend the Scorum team for bringing back this writing contest to the community. It's a step in the right direction and I firmly believe it will go a long way to get the name of scorum out there. The journey of this project thus far may have been slowed down by lots of unforseen contingencies of the crypto market, but with concerted efforts, patience and commitment, we can still arrive at our seemingly elusive "El Dorado." With more updates on the platform like the Mobile Version, Fantasy Sports and Addition of more sports on betscorum, The Platform will witness an influx of new members and investors.