Tennis fans' unruly behavior

Tennis fans' unruly behavior

I was in a crowd cheering for the Japanese team in the Davis
Cup Asia-Oceania Group I tie on Sunday, Feb. 8, the final day of
a three-day series of matches against Indonesia.

As a Japanese national temporarily resident in Jakarta, I have
a mixed reaction to the results of the matches. I would like to
say, "Congratulations, Japan," as well as, "Thank you for some
exciting games. Well done, Indonesia."

What I would like to comment on is, however, the manner in
which Indonesian fans cheered at Bung Karno Stadium, Senayan,
South Jakarta.

They brought in drums, bells, bugles, etc., which are very
unusual and not customary -- at least in international tennis
matches. The noisy horns and tambourines did not stop until the
judge had said "please" or "thank you" many times, when it was
Japan's serve.

Indecent hooting was also heard during the interval between
the first and second serves, and when a Japanese player asked for
a break to treat a mid-match injury on his wrist, Indonesian fans
counted aloud from one to ten, as if for a technical knockout in
boxing.

This unrefined manner was perhaps due to the fact that some of
the Indonesian supporters were not tennis fans, but had merely
dropped by the stadium attracted by the cheering and shouts, or
were just passersby, like my driver, pulled into the stadium by
someone -- without buying tickets -- in a show of support for the
national team.

Tennis is a very elegant sport and the behavior of spectators
is completely different from that in soccer or boxing.

Are Indonesian fans not yet mature enough to enjoy watching
tennis games or cheering tennis players in a proper manner? I'm
afraid the answer is "yes".

I hope the way Japanese fans cheered on that day was able to
provide a good example as to the appropriate behavior at a tennis
match.

MOGI MASAMICHI
Jakarta