Badminton a smash hit as Indonesia excel at Asian Games

BY far the loudest cheers at the main cluster of Asian Games venues in the heart of th he Indonesian capi ital Jakarta over r the last couple ofo weeks have bee en heard rising from rom the badminton arena.

Hugely popular in the South East Asian host nation, badminton has attracted thousands of spectators – and millions more on television – making it among the most-watched of the two-week event’s 45 sports and 167 disciplines.

Even President Joko Widodo was on hand yesterday to watch local hero Jonatan Christie win a gold medal in the men’s singles, making it one of just a handful of events he has attended.

With a capacity of 7,000, the badminton stadium has for days been a sea of red and white – Indonesia’s national colours – along with a sprinkling of fans from India and China, even during the knock-out stages.

The crowd’s cheers rise and fall with shots on the court, roars accompanying each smash or groans when the shuttlecock lands out.

“I’ve stopped by some other events since I’m here anyway, but I’m definitely most excited about badminton,” said Filia Paramita, 26, in between cheering on Indonesia’s star duo, Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sukamuljo, in the men’s doubles semi-final on Monday.

It helps that Indonesia has performed exceptionally well in sport at the Games – in both individual and team events – even breaking an otherwise dominant China’s hold on the sport.

With fans screaming at almost every point, and some whipped into a frenzy by victorious Indonesian shuttlers who lob their sweaty shirts into the stands, the atmosphere can be somewhat daunting for other players.

“It is a bit tough and you just have to focus a lot when the Indonesians are playing in the other courts and the crowd is shouting in support,” said India’s Saina Nehwal, former world number one, after finishing up a match this week.

Although football has taken much of Asia by storm in recent years, many in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, India and China still grow up playing badminton in their backyards or neighbourhood sports halls. — Reuters

It is a bit tough and you just have to focus a lot when the Indonesians are playing in the other courts. Saina Nehwal