When Hassan Brown Bakari set off on his bicycle on a 500km journey from Kibera in Nairobi to Malindi in Kilifi County to catch his favourite club Gogo Boys play, many thought he was insane.
Bakari, armed with his wide-tyre bike, left Nairobi on Thursday at 3 am, cycled all the way down to Mombasa, arriving at 8 pm.
He rested in the coastal city and embarked on the journey to Malindi on Friday morning. Bakari arrived in Malindi on Friday evening, where he met his team, which had travelled by bus.
Gogo Boys patron Dr Ahmed Kalebi took to social media to applaud Bakari’s passion and love for the sport.
“The love that Brown has for the team is out of this world. His exploit travelling to Malindi for our debut in the top tier national league level at Div 1 will be folklore in the history of our beloved Club,” stated Dr Kalebi.
“We are all glad he arrived safely and he will be returning with the team bus as there was an extra seat. I think he should seriously consider endurance cycling as a sporting career,” the former Pathologists Lancet Kenya CEO added.
Kalebi offered to help Bakari make a profitable career out of endurance cycling as a professional sport.
Bakari, meanwhile, has been a staunch supporter of the club, going by the numerous photos he has posted on his social platforms, attending training sessions and matches.
He is the model behind the club’s latest replica jersey and has also volunteered as the club’s videographer, streaming their matches on social media using his phone.
In addition, he has actively participated in the Gogo Boys Emergency Rescue Team, a volunteer group that undertakes charitable activities among them clean-up exercises in Kibera.
Gogo Boys was promoted to the FKF Division One League this season and will play their maiden match in the third tier league at the Alaskan Grounds in Malindi on Sunday, February 6.