Soccer fever hits BICC

Soccer fever hits BICC

Passing by the lobby of the Bali International Convention Center (BICC) on Sunday afternoon one could hear calls of "yes!" or "c'mon!"

That was uncharacteristic of an intensive UN meeting on sustainable development, which has been held in the building for the past week.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear they were not calls for time-bound measures or specific targets for the document being negotiated, called the Chairman's Text or the Bali Commitment, but the cheering of delegations and organizing committee staff for their favorite soccer team playing in the World Cup.

Dozens of people were seen huddling around a 29-inch television in the lobby, on which they were watching the match between England and Sweden. Some had even brought out chairs to make the viewing more comfortable.