Making a racket

Fans from all walks of life and from all over the world, from the host city to distant Germany and South Africa, have one at the Bung Karno Indoor Stadium in Jakarta over the past two weeks, lending support to their teams in the Thomas and Uber Cups team competitions.

Indonesian fans, long known for their fanatical support of their teams, seem to be showing a bit more sportsmanship and tolerance this time around. Thankfully, there has been no repeat of the ignominious incident in Jakarta in 1967, when Indonesia lost the Thomas Cup after the referee deemed it too dangerous for the Malaysian team to play on in the final.

Fans will come out again today, carrying banners and in their team colors, for Sunday is the day of reckoning in who will take the title.

Hopefully, the fans, like the players, will take a victory or loss in stride. For as Indonesian badminton legend Ferry Sonneville once said: "That's the art of playing badminton. Sometimes we lose, sometimes we win."

-- Text and photos by R. Berto Wedhatama