Brazilians give TT raucous atmosphere

RIO DE JANEIRO: The same shout can be heard throughout the Summer Olympics, from table tennis and fencing to swimming and beach volleyball events: Silencio! Shhh!

RIO DE JANEIRO: The same shout can be heard throughout the Summer Olympics, from table tennis and fencing to swimming and beach volleyball events: Silencio! Shhh! While every sport has its own custom for when it is appropriate to cheer and when quiet is expected, none of that applies here.

HT Image

The Rio Games have only just begun, but already the exuberance of local fans has collided with athletes’ and officials’ pleas for silence. The fans’ presence has been most striking, though, at the table tennis arena. Outside a select few countries, the sport struggles to draw fans and generate excitement. Players in the sport value silence, which allows them to hear the way the ball bounces off an opponent’s paddle and to react more smoothly to a shot. The tenor of the match Sunday night between Calderano and Tang Peng of Hong Kong revealed itself before a single point was played.