Aug 24 2008
Bringing the House Down, in Red and White
Watching the Singapore flag raised in the prestigious Olympics hall for the much-anticipated table tennis match brought a tear to my eye.
It was one thing watching any Chinese team play against other teams in an Olympic venue - the cheering and support is overpowering; but rooting for your own country competing for the most coveted title in the sports arena is a whole new experience for me.
I never thought I would witness a Singapore team standing on the medal stand in my lifetime.
The romance of Singapore’s first Olympic medalist Tan Howe Liang with weightlifting remained as one of the most inspiring Olympics stories to date.
His story happened before I was born, so I never imagined the ability of an Olympic medal to elicit patriotism was so strong.
At the Singapore Embassy on the fateful – and a very much historic Sunday night, I’m convinced that Singaporeans can bring the house down. They came in red and white national colours, they waved flags and they roared.
More than 100 of us gathered at Singapore’s diplomatic grounds in Beijing to watch the table tennis finals ‘live’.
Being miles away from the actual venue did not stop hot-blooded Singapore patriots from yelling at the top of their lungs at the projection screen.
The younger ones chanted till their faces turned red, while the uncles and aunties hopped around in a rare display of animated youthfulness.
The cheers came in a combination of Mandarin, English, Hokkien, Malay in the most creative composition that only the Singlish-proficient could understand (Can someone please provide a list of these multi-lingual cheers?).
But hey, it’s far more interesting than the straight-laced Zhong Guo jia you! or Go, China! - probably the second most played out chant to the Chinese national anthem…
Never mind that Singapore missed the gold medal; a silver medal isn’t bad at all. As Consular Tang Weng Chau said to me after the telecast, everyone’s a champion that evening.
Hi Yee Fong,
While many were awed by the spectacular opening and closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, stunned by the mammoth scale of the ‘grand-daddy’ of all fireworks, lifted by the medal hauls, saddened by the near misses, witness and were seduced by the Olympians who broke the records etc…
I would spare a moment…appreciating the people behind the scene. The construction workers, the event volunteers, the kitchen helpers, cleaners, medics, airport staffs, lighthing mechanics, the lady holding the medal tray, just to name a few. They spend as much time preparing as the athletics. But weren’t duly appreciated by their triumph.
In time to come, few would remember them as much as they remember the Yao Mings, the Usian Bolts, the Michael Phelps.
To me, the people behind the scenes broke all the records in my heart. They are the significance of it all.
Best,
K GOH
nothing spectacular about the table tennis match.
Top 10 ideas about increasing Singapore’s medal tally ! http://tickledbylife.com/site/?p=131
Totally agree with your last statement: Everyone’s a champion.
Honestly, I will still be happy and grateful even if they did not win any medal.