People Await Sports Events

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Persebaya supporters known as Bonek light the flares after the Persebaya Surabaya match against Persija Jakarta in the 2019 League 1 competition at the Bung Tomo Stadium, Surabaya, Saturday (24/8/2019). The interest of the Indonesian people for watching sports, especially football, is very high.

The Covid-19 pandemic has not dampened public interest, especially young and productive people, in watching sports matches. In fact, if possible, some fans can attend the sporting events.

The pandemic has caused a number of sporting competitions around the world to come to a standstill during the last six months. A number of major sports events, such as the 2020 European Cup, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and the 2020 National Games (PON) in Papua, have to be postponed until next year.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which easily spreads in crowded places, makes it difficult for sports competitions to continue. In fact, sports competitions are awaited not only by players but also by their fans.

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Not a few Indonesians are fond of sporting events as indicated by the results of a Kompas’ poll conducted in mid-August 2020. Seven out of 10 respondents involved in the poll said they liked watching sports.

Some respondents (15.8 percent) acknowledged that they preferred watching sports competitions held abroad. There were also respondents (16 percent) who said they preferred watching domestic sports matches. Meanwhile, four out of 10 other respondents said they liked to watch sports competitions both from within and outside the country.

Sports events are also a spectacle that can unite people from different ages and generations. Sporting shows are not the monopoly of young people. There is also a different interest among the sports lovers depending on their ages.

KOMPAS/Adrian Fajriansyah

Supporters of Jakarta Pertamina Energi, cheer their team when they face Surabaya Bhayangkara Samator on the first day of the fifth series of the 2020 Proliga second round in Bandung, West Java, Friday (6/3/2020).

As many as 62 percent of generation Z respondents and 71 percent of respondents from the millennial group admitted that they liked watching sports matches. Meanwhile, in the X generation group and the baby boomers generation, the proportion of the respondents who enjoyed watching sports reached 77 percent and 83 percent, respectively.

Pandemic risk

The public interest in watching sports matches in the midst of a pandemic is not that high. There were only 13 percent of the respondents who were interested in attending to the matches even though the pandemic had not ended.

However, the interest in attending the matches is a sign of the potential risk of the spread of Covid-19, which has to be monitored. More than half (58 percent) of the respondents who were interested in attending the matches were located in regions with high risk of Covid-19 transmission.

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Based on data from the Covid-19 Task Force and the National Disaster Management Agency, as of 6 Sept, 2020, as many as 65 regencies / cities are in the high-risk zone. As many as 23 of them are located in provinces in Java, namely Banten, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java and East Java.

The Health Ministry data as of 7 Sept, 2020 also shows the high number of the total Covid-19 cases in the five provinces on Java Island. Of the 196,989 cumulative cases in the country, 58 percent (114,908 cases) were spread across the five provinces.

Covid-19 transmission will also be more easily spread if sports matches are held with spectators, because the sports competitions are generally attended by young and productive audiences with high daily mobility.

More than half (58 percent) of the respondents who were interested in attending the matches were located in regions with high risk of Covid-19 transmission.

REUTERS/ANDREW BOYERS

All England Open Badminton Championships - Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, Britain - March 15, 2020 Indonesia\'s Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti celebrate after winning the mixed doubles final against Thailand\'s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai.

The results of the Kompas’ poll showed a similar pattern. More than half of the respondents from the Y generation group and 23 percent of the Z generation said they wanted to be present in sports despite the pandemic.

Currently, at least 15 of the 64 sports under the auspices of the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) are holding internal tournaments in the midst of a pandemic. These sports activities are carried out with strict health protocols according to the character of each sport.

Technology

KONI, the Youth and Sports Ministry, and the Covid-19 Task Force are in a close coordination in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in sports activities. The matches are held without spectators. Given the massive spread of Covid-19, especially in Java, it is quite logical not to allow to the people to attend the matches.

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In this situation, the technology becomes the solution. The 2020 Kempo National Championship for Communication and Information Technology Minister’s Cup , which was held on 13-14 Aug., for example, became the first physical sports championship in Indonesia to be held virtually. There is also a plan to launch KONI TV which will broadcast various sports tournaments. Sport lovers can watch live the TV online.

This breakthrough can be the cure for those who miss the matches. National sports need to rise from the pandemic and citizens can find entertainment. However, the safety should remain a priority. (KOMPAS’ R&D)