Yellow uniforms brighten up Universiade
Supporters at the 2015 Gwangju Universiade watch a men’s singles second-round tennis match between Chung Hyeon of Korea and Raphael Hemmeler of Switzerland at the Jinwol International Tennis Court in Gwangju, Sunday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Nam Hyun-woo
GWANGJU ― The uniform with the highest visibility at the Universiade in this southwestern city is not the white and red jersey of the large Russian delegation but bright yellow T-shirts bearing the phrase “I love U.”
People in the yellow uniforms are official supporters registered with the Universiade. Their job is to cheer for the athletes from more than 140 countries competing and create a welcoming mood at the event.
According to officials, they have distributed more than 51,000 shirts since March, far outnumbering the 930 Russians at the event. At almost every competition venue in Gwangju, waves of yellow can be observed. Wherever athletes go, yellowshirted crowds appear and cheer for them.
Their presence can be vividly seen at the Jinwol International Tennis Court, where the men’s singles second-round matches were held on Sunday. Crowds wearing the shirts filled one side of the venue, filling it with yellow. From elderly couples to children, they cheered for not only Chung Hyeon of Korea, who beat Raphael Hemmeler of Switzerland, but every player taking the court that day.
Mostly comprised of Gwangju natives, the supporters pack the seats of stadiums ― especially unpopular events on weekdays ― to ensure athletes are not competing in front of too many empty seats.
“This is a rare chance for me to watch an international tennis game in Gwangju” said a woman in her 30s at the Jinwol court. “It was a little embarrassing wearing this shirt, but I am really having a good time,” she said.
For the supporters, the municipal government of Gwangju bought tickets from the organizers and distributed them to supporters who live in the vicinity of the competition venues. Though there are questions about “crowd manipulation,” this is a chance for the supporters to participate at a global sports festival held near their home and feel a sense of belonging.
“I feel being a part of the event,” said Kim Jin-a, who was wearing the shirt in front of the Kimdaejung Convention Center, the venue for fencing events. “I was not sure what I should do during my vacation and I signed up for this. It is quite fun to follow matches and cheer the competitors, and it will be a meaningful vacation,” the university student said.
In the diving event at the Nambu University Aquatics Center, Saturday, a group of hearing-impaired people wearing yellow shirts were cheering for divers, while communicating through sign language. While they did not make a lot of noise, they seemed happy.