Feature: Basketball fever sweeps Indonesia with FIBA World Cup
by sportswriters Wang Aona, Lu Xiaoping, and He Leijing
JAKARTA, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) — For Joel Dixon Tedjojuwono, an 18-year-old university student from Central Java, Indonesia, serving journalists from all over the world coming for the 2023 FIBA World Cup as a volunteer has been a mind-opening experience.
“My duty is to guide journalists to various working sectors, like press conferences, training grounds, mixed interview zone, in a timely and organized manner. And I’m doing my best to offer them hospitality from Indonesia,” said Tedjojuwono.
Despite long working hours from noon to midnight, Tedjojuwono is still full of beans. “I’m impressed by the passion for basketball from the journalists, audience as well as my fellow volunteers.”
Indonesia, along with the Philippines and Japan, is co-hosting the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Known for its enthusiasm for football and badminton, Indonesia has welcomed an international major basketball event for the first time.
The new Indonesia Arena, with a seating capacity of 16,500, serves as one of the venues for the group phase from Aug. 25 to Sept. 3 in Jakarta. It’s located in the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) complex, the site of the 2018 Asian Games.
Tania Aditio, volunteer coordinator of the local organizing committee, told Xinhua that nearly 300 Indonesian volunteers are working for the FIBA’s flagship event daily.
“Some volunteers may not know much about basketball, but after coming here, they started talking more about the sport,” said Aditio, adding that volunteers discuss matches and their favorite players’ performances during breaks.
Basketball enthusiasm is also evident in Jakarta. “Big billboards of FIBA, large image photos of awesome players, e-posters, and banners on street lamps can be seen not just inside the complex but along almost every main road in Jakarta,” said volunteer Muhammad Hasby Fairy in the transportation section.
Anticipating traffic near the arena, the local organizing committee provided six electric buses for the large audience from around the world.
“It’s great to watch my favorite team playing in my country. My family and I love the atmosphere at the scene,” said Indonesian Melvins Denadyaksa Syawwal outside the arena, with his parents and younger brother.
As a big fan of Team Canada, the 13-year-old was thrilled to secure a ticket for the game between Canada and Lebanon on Sunday.
“It was a pity that we missed Canada’s first game on Friday because the tickets were sold out. I’m happy we can come for the second game,” Syawwal said.
Basketball fans from around the world attending the games have also appreciated the hospitality of the Indonesian people.
“Those volunteers we met here are so helpful and open-minded. Our hotel manager even helped us buy two drums we really needed for cheering,” said Daila Roman Lat, who traveled over 20 hours from Latvia to support her team.
In recent years, basketball has gained popularity, especially among young people in Indonesia.
Development Basketball League (DBL), a basketball league for middle and high school students in Indonesia, is flourishing in 30 cities and 22 provinces across the country, drawing 1.5 million youths annually. Over 1,200 teams and 40,000 people participate in the league, involving more than 750 schools.
After the World Cup, a larger basketball fan base is expected in Indonesia.
“This is a great opportunity for the public and basketball community in Indonesia to see world-class basketball players and games. This will boost the development of the Indonesian national team’s quality in the future,” said Indonesian President Joko Widodo in his inauguration speech.
“It’s a pity that Indonesia couldn’t participate in this year’s World Cup. But I’m looking forward to seeing Indonesia debut in international basketball games soon,” said Tedjojuwono.
Source – Indonesia News
