The above topic came to mind when I was at a rugby match about a month ago, where two reputed schools from Colombo locked horns to prove who is worthy of the league title. I personally I felt that this game was the best in the season so far.
Even though it’s been quite a while since this game ended, I must thank the young rugby players from both schools for the display of great sportsmanship, not forgetting the fantastic brand of rugby they played.
Sport in general, is a celebrated pastime with many Sri Lankans, where gender, age and race is not a factor. It has been like this for generations.
’96 CWC – Image courtesy: ESPN cric
With a rich history of Sri Lankan sports from athletics to cricket, we can see that the new breed of sportsmen and women have evolved with more dedication and drive to achieve success through hard work and commitment.
From Duncan White to Susanthika Jayasinghe, from Arjuna Ranathunga to Julian Bolin, significant achievements have won the hearts and minds of sports fans in Sri Lanka. This sense of ownership has brewed a fierce sense of national pride.
I have watched a lot of sports in the past two decades and been involved in many sports teams in terms of coaching and playing. Incidents of unruly behavior at a few sporting events in Sri Lanka make us wonder who is responsible for these unsavory incidents.
The famous ambush at Sooriyawewa where fans clashed with Police forces, schools getting suspended for fighting, referees being manhandled, brawls on the podium, the list goes on. In many of these incidents, the fans’ behavior has come into question.
Based on my experience, the fans can be grouped into the following categories – maybe next time you will be able to identify with them and decide if you want to join them or move away.
The know-it-all – This is the best possible fan you can be around; he knows all the nitty-gritty sports details in the island and maybe, if you are lucky, you will get the international flare from him too. The down side would be that you won’t have time to watch the match. Move away.
The historian – knows all the past records, plays and players, but has no clue on the current scene or rules or regulations. On and off he is susceptible to give the odd shout out at the perceived wrongdoing of the referee. Can be tolerated.
The provoker – This is the fan you really need to move away from. There is no rationale for his or her behavior and they will start shouting or abusing for no reason. The next step is to stimulate friction with anyone, this could be the referee, players or spectators. Move away or complain to security.
The loud speaker – The title is self-explanatory. He or she will not stop till the game is over. So loud that sometimes it will have after effects on them and the spectators around them. Get yourself ear plugs.
Intoxicator – He or she will have no clue of what’s happening in and around them. They will mostly smile and wave but teaming up with a provoker will have negative effects.
Action Man/Woman – The worst possible fan for any team or crowd, they tend to act like they know what to do with every move (they like to think that way). They believe they are better than all the coaches, managers, players and everyone else. The combination of an action man and provoker is also a negative collaboration. Please stand up and move away.
The real sports fan – Will support the team through thick and thin, will enjoy every moment of the game and will be a critique at times but do so constructively. Will watch the match with a clear conscience. Will cheer not shout. Will give out a happy vibe.
Abusive parent – It is sad when you see more and more parents falling into this category, not considering that the opponents are the same age as their son or daughter. Shouting and being abusive, even willing to go the extra mile, to confront opposing parents. Schools or their respective governing body in the institution for the sport needs to take action and educate.
The above is my personal observation and its worth mentioning that life would be easier for everyone involved if you be a fan whose behavior your team would appreciate and would shake hands with. So, which fan are you?
