A domino league started in Mitchell’s Plain late last year hopes to put sportsmanship back into the game.
So says Ismail Rajah, the president of the league and captain of the Parow-based IZRA Domino Club, which launched the Cape Metropole Domino Board league in November after quitting the Western Cape Domino Union league, based in Schaapkraal.
According to Mr Rajah, the club, which has members from all around Cape Town, was tired of the arguments and fights that had become an almost weekly occurrence at league games.
“We were very concerned with the level of discipline inside the hall during match days and that never sat easy with us.”
In November, they called for teams to join the new league, but only four clubs arrived.
“We were very positive, and we did not allow that to put us off, and we still proceeded as we wanted to create this new league,” Mr Rajah said.
A few weeks later, the organisers had a full fixture list after securing 10 teams to start the new league. Games are played at 2pm every Sunday at the Weltervreden Recreational Centre in Rocklands, Mitchell’s Plain.
IZRA was joined by Young Arabians, Legacy, Young Stars, Originals, Graveyard, Tulips, Searidge, Rebels and Innovation, mainly from the Hanover Park and Mitchell’s Plain areas.
“There was very little interest in the start, but it quickly grew, and we are expecting it to grow even further once we get the first season behind us,” Mr Rajah said.
Roeshdien Smith captains the Tulips Domino Club and has been playing competitive dominoes for nearly 20 years.
“Dominoes is a sport that creates unity and a bond among brothers and friends. One of the main reason we joined this new league is to maintain the level of respect between brothers and friends,” Mr Smith said.
Yaghya Jacobs is one of the founding members of the Innovations Domino Club, which is one of the founding teams of the new league.
“We liked that the league had discussed bringing back respect to the game and discipline as well. The new league wants to bring back the discipline, good nature and fun to dominoes,” Mr Jacobs said.
“Back in the day, people use to play this game in a shirt, collar and tie. That is how much respect there was. They were real gentleman and we sadly lost that over time.”
“The new league allows players to go there and de-stress rather than have to stress about what is going to happen.”
Last week, the domino world said goodbye to one of its veteran members, the late Abdullah Abbass, who played for Legends Domino Club and the Sporting Boys from Salt River (“Salt River mourns its butchery king”, Tatler, August 15, 2024).
Mr Rajah, who spent many years playing against Mr Abbass, said: “We have not only lost a very good domino player, but a true brother and friend.”
The Western Cape Domino Union could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.
