Tennis fans' unruly behavior<\/p>\n
I was in a crowd cheering for the Japanese team in the Davis
\nCup Asia-Oceania Group I tie on Sunday, Feb. 8, the final day of
\na three-day series of matches against Indonesia.<\/p>\n
As a Japanese national temporarily resident in Jakarta, I have
\na mixed reaction to the results of the matches. I would like to
\nsay, \"Congratulations, Japan,\" as well as, \"Thank you for some
\nexciting games. Well done, Indonesia.\"<\/p>\n
What I would like to comment on is, however, the manner in
\nwhich Indonesian fans cheered at Bung Karno Stadium, Senayan,
\nSouth Jakarta.<\/p>\n
They brought in drums, bells, bugles, etc., which are very
\nunusual and not customary -- at least in international tennis
\nmatches. The noisy horns and tambourines did not stop until the
\njudge had said \"please\" or \"thank you\" many times, when it was
\nJapan's serve.<\/p>\n
Indecent hooting was also heard during the interval between
\nthe first and second serves, and when a Japanese player asked for
\na break to treat a mid-match injury on his wrist, Indonesian fans
\ncounted aloud from one to ten, as if for a technical knockout in
\nboxing.<\/p>\n
This unrefined manner was perhaps due to the fact that some of
\nthe Indonesian supporters were not tennis fans, but had merely
\ndropped by the stadium attracted by the cheering and shouts, or
\nwere just passersby, like my driver, pulled into the stadium by
\nsomeone -- without buying tickets -- in a show of support for the
\nnational team.<\/p>\n
Tennis is a very elegant sport and the behavior of spectators
\nis completely different from that in soccer or boxing.<\/p>\n
Are Indonesian fans not yet mature enough to enjoy watching
\ntennis games or cheering tennis players in a proper manner? I'm
\nafraid the answer is \"yes\".<\/p>\n
I hope the way Japanese fans cheered on that day was able to
\nprovide a good example as to the appropriate behavior at a tennis
\nmatch.<\/p>\n
MOGI MASAMICHI
\nJakarta<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tennis-fans-unruly-behavior-1447893297",
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