Champion's character

Why do sports fans develop a liking for certain stars on the playing field? The feats of sports idols do play a role, but we all know that human beings respond to more than just their heroes' athletic skills.

I know a Bandung woman who followed the German World Cup team avidly, because she thought Juergen Klinsmann was "cute." My young nieces often stayed up late during last June's soccer events to watch the English team, and it wasn't because they appreciated the players' dribbling and shooting talents. Rather, the reason -- in their minds -- was that some of the players they saw on TV might as well have been their favorite rock or movie heartthrobs.

I do like players who win, but if it's the same victor each time it gets a bit boring. Perhaps that is why I rooted for France in that famous soccer final. And certainly one should side with athletes who comport themselves with character, especially if they're in the public eye.

When Martina Hingis first appeared on the tennis scene, I was quite impressed with her. Ah, a new face who will liven up things, I thought. But I was disappointed after Hingis visited Jakarta for the first time. At the airport, she was asked a question by a local reporter, to whom she snapped: "That has nothing to do with tennis!" It was then that I started losing my admiration for the Swiss player. A 16-year-old should treat others, especially older people, with courtesy. Also in tennis, John McEnroe's behavior is the reason I was never a fan of his during his heyday.

Will the current women's No.2, Lindsay Davenport, make it to the top soon? Davenport, by all accounts, is a friendly, likable person, and is quite popular on the pro tour. A very tall woman, her handicap was previously her weight, which caused slowness in rushing the net. Realizing she had to shed excess kilograms, her sheer determination won her the coveted 1998 U.S. Open women's singles title.

Indonesia's own Yayuk Basuki, although she has never reached a Grand Slam final, was once awarded a sportswomen's trophy in Europe for displaying the best behavior that year in ladies' tennis. The jury were her peers on the international circuit. A champion in another way!

In other sports, some people worship Mike Tyson and Diego Maradona, but I believe stars who cheat and engage in violent, boorish behavior shouldn't be anyone's role models.

Two years ago, I was riding up the lift at the Graha Unilever building on Jl. Gatot Subroto, when in walked retired badminton legend Rudy Hartono (wearing a tie), during a stop on the second floor. I initiated a conversation, and this winner of a record eight All-England men's singles titles responded politely. We engaged in small talk until he got off one floor before me. He seemed almost embarrassed to have been recognized. I believe his apparently shy behavior was due to his inherent modesty and lack of arrogance -- the characters of a true champion.

FARID BASKORO

Jakarta