It was an Eid treat on a mid - week holiday for some fans when their team went up against China in the team finals. Indonesians though, demand that their shuttlers make magic when the bird flies and it’s why they’ll flock to the Istora as the individual title race starts Thursday.
If they don’t and are seen exiting in first or second rounds, they get labelled as Mentokers – that delicious barb which literally means hitting a wall or being stuck. The more fancied the player, the more caustic the bullying tends to get in shuttle stadiums that can feel intimate and throbbing with fans’ tough love.
Then there’s the song and dance— whether Indonesia is playing or not. It is often said that 10 immigrant Indonesian voices —in any corner of the world, be it Copenhagen or Kuala Lumpur, Delhi or Doha —can drown out a thousand raucous rival fans. Yoo ayo, ayo Indonesia. Ku ingin, kita harus menang. (Come on, come on Indonesia. I want it, we have to win. )
It’s haka weds haiku, set to hip - shaking hymns. It’s never just the words, though. It’s always the aural effect of the Indonesians pouring their heart into getting their shuttlers to recreate Harry Houdini with their racquets. “Garuda on my chest, Garuda is my pride. I am sure today we will definitely win. . ” goes another ditty invoking the country’s mythical symbol, Garuda – the eagle.
“The song is about how the fans really want the team to win the game, ” says Widya, the media coordinator for the Indonesian badminton federation. “There’s no title of this song, no one knows who wrote the song or when it started. Football fans in Indonesia also have similar songs. But let’s say in badminton stadiums, it’s just a little more insistent, ” she laughs.
Between the biting advice and a sing - song savagery of these “insistent” songs, Indonesian badminton is a rollicking act. Chinese fans, though equally demanding, tend to be genteel. Malaysians have remained Lee Chong Wei - tragics, and always polite. Indonesians though express love for their shuttlers with high - decibel hearts.
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