Along with their constant victory in 2010 AFF Cup, tremendous support and admiration are attributed to Indonesia’s national football team. Indonesians are now spellbound as the football euphoria spreads across the country, making ‘timnas’ an overnight sensation, the audible song ‘Garuda Didadaku’ reverberate in every corner, and names such as Christian ‘El Loco’ Gonzales and Bachdim emerge as long-time coming heroes.My husband and I were passing Senayan yesterday and were quite astonished to see an incredible number of people cramming in Gelora Bung Karno trying their luck obtaining the 3rd class tickets of the AFF Cup final between Indonesia and archenemy Malaysia in the coming 29 December 2010. We’d known from TV the more expensive tickets had all been sold-out and that ticket buyers willingly spent the night waiting in front of the booths.
Crowds were also around Senayan flocking the street sellers selling fake timnas outfits. My husband indeed gave me a significant gesture to pull over and buy, but I told him to get it from an authorized dealer, as we are such bad bargainers and God knows how easy it would be to get us into buying stuff much more expensive than they should be. Besides, the material of the genuine uniform would be much better, I reasoned. But apparently it has become one of the most hunted merchandises, because in every store the outfits had been sold out. He was quite dismayed.
Some say timnas Indonesia was in their golden era in the 1950s, when the players played due to their passion towards football itself, the era when the team could hold back the mighty Russian team. I am very much proud to say this for the timnas captain at that time was my very own late grandfather, Chris Ong. Despite the fact, though, I am never into football, let alone being a nationalist. But this football fever is contagious and I find myself bewitched in this excitement and have actually been praying for our timnas’ success to become the champion of AFF Cup 2010. But I know, once the football season is over, I am no longer a timnas fan. By far, this is the proof that most people, including me and even the government, are suckers for victory, and that the escalating popularity of timnas may remain only if they keep on winning.
But for this time being in this country of ours, where nationwide triumphant is once in a blue moon, timnas has been singled-out as the spearhead of the people’s solace after so many hitches in this country, and is thus hoped to not only provide consolation to the dreary hearts of the people but to also become a capstone to perk up the country’s image. Go timnas!
