Paint is one of the most sought-after items at the ongoing 2007
Masters Cup in Shanghai. But rather than using it to create
masterpieces on canvas or paper, faithful tennis fans use the
material to draw national flags on their faces, showing support for
their favorite tennis players.
Fans cheer for Andy Roddick
at the Masters Cup in Shanghai on November 14, 2007.
"We have been drawing normally 300 to 400 flags per day since
the games started on Sunday, and 50 tubes of paint in different
colors have gone," said Pan Jun, a volunteer enlisted by the
event's organizers to help spectators draw the patterns on their
cheeks or hands at the Crazy Fans Center outside the court.
Pan is a veteran face painter. This is his third consecutive
trip to the Masters Cup. Now in his final year of study in the art
department of Shanghai University, Pan says his hand is sore by the
end of the day because he "drew too much".
"We spend as short as 30 seconds to complete a flag and there
are several of us from the art department, but you can see people
keep coming and make us busy," said the 22-year-old.
Gu Peili, a university freshman, paints the small Stars and
Stripes flag on her hand to show adoration for Andy Roddick, the
world's No 5 player from the United States.
In her first trip to the star-studded tennis event, the teenager
Gu, who had to skip classes with her classmate to attend, said the
atmosphere is exciting in the stadium and "much better than
watching TV".
"I couldn't be here in the past because I was not economically
independent as a high school student," she said. "But the rivalry
was so dramatic I couldn't help leaving my seat and cheering for
them behind the rails. I love this sport!"
But the title of craziest fan - at least in terms of
face-painting - should be given to a fan from central China's Hunan
Province, who painted a huge Swiss national flag all over his face
during last year's Masters Cup.
According to Pan, the man received a towel from Roger Federer as
a gift after the tennis king saw his painted face and was impressed
by his loyalty. Following in that fan's path, this year several
fans, including a man from Chile, have asked Pan to draw full-faced
patterns to show their support.
Another faithful fan is Feng Renquan, a senior student at Xiamen
University in east China's Fujian Province. To make enough money
for tickets and a trip to Shanghai, the young man and his friends
worked odd jobs for three months, barely able to cover the cost of
attending.
"I have collected the signature of all the players of the Cup
except Rafael Nadal," said the young man proudly. He has been
living on bottled water and biscuits to save every single penny
because of his tight budget. "It's worth it," he said.
At the Crazy Fans Center, volunteers are busy handing out badges
printed with images of Nadal, Federer and Argentine David
Nalbandian. Visitors get one if they fill out a survey form.
"We prepare about 400 of them every day," said a volunteer,
adding that they disappear quickly. "The badges with Federer's
image are the most sought-after."
(China Daily November 16, 2007)
