Of bouquets, brickbats and sports spectacles

For centuries now, people from all over the world have derived great enjoyment from watching sports, games or other forms of entertainment happening in spacious grounds. Getting absorbed in the nuances of the event and expressing appreciation, or disapproval, of the performance of the participants is a great stress buster. The pleasure is that much more when one is part of a large crowd.

Expressions of approval take many forms such as chanting, encouraging expressions, a loud roar of applause when something exceptional is done, rhythmic clapping or the extremely endearing practice of performing a synchronised Mexican wave. These moments carry profound weight in the sports world, signifying deep respect from the fans on rare occasions, when something extraordinary or unprecedented has been done, crowds are known to have accorded a standing ovation for an extended period to convey their appreciation. Fans often rise to applaud star players as they check out a highly significant game for the final time. Throughout his farewell Test series and the preceding overseas tours, crowds universally rose whenever Sachin Tendulkar, the ‘Little Master’ walked out to the crease.

After Pakistan defeated India in a thrilling but tense Test match at Chepauk, the home crowd showed immense sportsmanship by giving the Pakistani team a standing ovation. The visitors reciprocated by taking a full victory lap around the ground, which is etched into history as one of the greatest moments of mutual respect. The longest documented spontaneous standing ovation in history lasted for 80 minutes. It was given to opera singer Plácido Domingo at the Vienna State Opera in 1991, accompanied by 101 curtain calls.

Disapproval, on the other hand, is often conveyed by crowds through acts such as booing, whistling, catcalling, jeering in a sarcastic or hostile manner or hissing, while physical gestures like the thumbs down sign, are also used frequently. Spectators watching cricket matches are known to convey their boredom or lack of interest through ‘barracking’ or slow and rhythmic hand clapping. In that context, this columnist recalls an extremely amusing incident.

An England cricket team, on an official tour of India, was playing a match against the South Zone team in Hyderabad. Ken Barrington, the dour and highly determined batsman of the visiting team, was playing a particularly dull innings. The crowd in the Lal Bahadur Stadium began to barrack him in derision. Barrington, in a most amusing gesture, turned towards the crowd and offered his bat to them, as if saying, “take my place and show me if you can do better! “. What is more, he reinforced the import of the gesture by presenting arms to the crowd with his bat, as though it were a gun! A gallant compliment to the bowlers of the opposite team.

Another such example was the legendary W G Grace. He was once clean bowled by the first ball he faced in a Test match. Instead of quietly leaving the ground, he calmly replaced the bails on the wicket and took his guard again, telling the bowler, “A huge crowd has gathered here to watch me bat, not to watch you bowl me!

In 1983, Diego Maradona was playing for Barcelona Club against bitter rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid. Maradona dribbled around the goalkeeper and faked out a defender before scoring. His display of skill was so dazzling that the home Real Madrid supporters rose to their feet to applaud him.

Japanese football fans are renowned for staying behind after matches to meticulously clean their stadium sections, collecting trash into large garbage bags before leaving. The practice of cleaning up after oneself, often referred to as ‘gomi hiroi’ or trash picking, is deeply ingrained in Japanese society which stems from its cultural philosophies. For many fans, especially at international events, cleaning up is a gesture of gratitude and respect towards the host country and the stadium.

A crowd’s expression of encouragement is a powerful way for spectators to boost players’ morale, build momentum, and inspire peak performance. Fans use several well-known chants, cheers, and phrases to show their support during games.

Spectators at ancient Roman games encouraged Gladiators by chanting, waving tokens, and shouting specific commands. The crowds were vocal and passionate, driven by mob mentality to demand intense action from the Gladiators, yelling to urge fighters to press the attack.

The crowd’s response to Martin Luther King Jr.’s August 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech was electric and deeply participatory. Drawing on the rich tradition of the Black folk pulpit, King utilized a “call-and-response” delivery that moved listeners through waves of solemn reflection and roaring, emotional hope;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received notable applause and standing ovations from delegates during his addresses at the United Nations General Assembly, notably during the 2014, 2019, and 2021 sessions. His speeches focused on global peace, terrorism, and democratic development.

Artificial or orchestrated crowd reactions at political meetings, often referred to as ‘astroturfing’ or ‘rent-a-crowd’, describe situations where applause, cheering, and visible support are manufactured. Organizers use these tactics to project an image of broad public enthusiasm, validate a candidate’s viability, and create a momentum-building atmosphere for the media. Common tactics adopted by the organisers include offering financial incentives, transportation, or free meals to people in exchange for their presence and vocal support.

While these crowds do not directly translate into votes, they are intended to trigger a psychological ‘bandwagon effect’, making undecided voters perceive the candidate as a likely winner.

Some sports events, such as women’s cricket matches, normally do not attract large roads. The October 30, 2025 match at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai between India and Australia women teams, however, proved to be an exception, with estimates putting the number of spectators at 25,000, a new record for the largest number of spectators inside a stadium, for a women’s cricket match.

Some interesting facts about stadiums around the world are worth mentioning at this stage. The highest cricket ground in the world, for example, is the Chail Cricket Ground in Himachal Pradesh, situated at an altitude of 2,444 meters above sea level. The largest is the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad with a capacity of 1,32,000. The smallest recognized stadium in the world by capacity is The Menace Arena in London. It holds the global record for the smallest official stadium stand, which has a seating capacity of just four people, although, on occasion, up to 13 people have squeezed in at once!

And the usual lighthearted anecdote, to end this piece.

The premiere of a play by George Bernard Shaw had just concluded in a theatre in London. And, as the curtain fell, the spectators rose in appreciative applause and accorded a standing ovation, shouting, “Author, author!”.

As an overwhelmed Shaw walked on to the stage and took his customary bows, a lone detractor shouted from a distant corner of the theatre and said, “boo!”. A bit taken aback for a moment but quickly recovering his composure. Shaw also reciprocated, saying “Boo!”, adding with this characteristic wit, “but what is the use my friend? It is just the two of us against so many thousands who disagree with us!

(The writer was formerly Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr MOHAN KANDA

Dr MOHAN KANDA[email protected]