Unflagging Thai shows true colors

JAKARTA (JP): It was a case of anything you can do, we can do better.

Local fans in the Senayan swimming pool on Monday found, much to their chagrin, that the only person with a flag was from Thailand.

A lone island of Thai support in an Indonesian sea, the Thai woman showed no fear in standing up to wave her flag and back her compatriots, turning a deaf ear to the raucous heckling from her hosts.

The Thai woman was back again yesterday, as vociferous as ever. But this time she was no longer the only flag waver. Several Indonesians had brought along their red-and-white standard, perhaps to restore national pride.

But they had little opportunity to wave their flags -- Thailand swam away with first two golds of the night and guess who was cheering loudest. (08)