World Cup Brought Indonesians Together

Only last week the residents of Bandar Lampung were up in arms at power cuts and the reason for this anger was because they might not be able to watch the World Cup soccer!. The game in Indonesia is the most popular of all sports and its fans much more zealous than any other country in Asia.

They are so fanatical that I can recall one time in the 90s going to a soccer match in Yogyakarta and, just because the home team lost, the supporters then proceeded to burn down the stadium in disgust!.

Coming every four years the World Cup draws millions of viewers - whether soccer fans or not - to follow the outcomes of national teams as they pit their skills, talents and techniques against each other in matches broadcast around the globe as P.J. Leo explains.

World Cup accessories have flooded the world market from the Americas to Africa and fans proudly display T-shirts, cleats, official balls and other promotional items to show their support for a favourite team or player.

Indonesian soccer fans are no less zealous about the game even though the national team has yet to enter the international realm.

In refugee camps from Yogyakarta to Sulawesi, at local cafes and community centers across the archipelago fans of all ages and backgrounds have gathered around TVs over the past month to root for their chosen teams.

While the 2006 World Cup in Germany may not alleviate the hardships of everyday life nor the grief among survivors of natural disasters, it brings some reprieve in the shared excitement of a goal, exuberance at a team's success and sheer love for the game.

In this, it is truly an event that belongs to all in the global community. And now that it is all over with Italy being the victors, perhaps we will see the Indonesian team up there with the Australian team in four years time.