Sim Chi Yin ponders who to cheer for at her first-ever Olympics experience.

CALL it the Singaporean spectator's dilemma. Or an identity crisis. 

Which team do we root for when our own is not playing? (And probably never will?)

With tiny Singapore taking part in precious few events at the world's largest sports meet, this first-time Olympics spectator was at a bit of a loss over which side to cheer on at two matches yesterday.

First, at the rained-out women's beach volleyball finals yesterday morning. 

China versus the USA. 

About one-third of the 12,000-strong, rain-coat clad audience was probably American, recognisable by their big blue wigs, loud tall hats or the stars and stripes flags around their shoulders. 

The rest were a soggy home crowd, a mixed bag of young professionals donning blood red headbands bearing the words "Zhongguo bisheng" ("China will certainly win") and elderly couples waving miniature plastic Chinese flags from under their umbrellas. They were all there to watch two Chinese pairs of players bag the country's best performance ever in the sport - silver and bronze medals. 

And there I was, with two 20-something mainland Chinese friends, ready for my first dose of Olympics atmosphere and - I had thought - sun and sand. As shouts of "USA, USA" competed with "Zhongguo dui jiayou" ("Go, Team China") in the stands, I was left wondering what to call out. 

My Chinese friends declared: "Of course you should cheer for the Chinese! You're a zhongguoren (Chinese). And anyway, you're here with us." 

I felt the same bemused sense of displacement as when acquaintances here pronounce me a "zi ji ren" (one of our own) even when they learn that I'm three generations removed from my ancestors who were from the southern provinces of Guangdong and Fujian.

Likewise when a young mainland protester berated me "You're from Singapore but you're still a zhongguoren, so you should understand" when I asked him why he and his comrades had unfurled nationalistic, anti-French banners outside the French Embassy in Beijing after the Olympic Torch had a fracas-filled run-through Paris in April. 

In the end, at yesterday's match, I shouted no slogans and just clapped whenever the players served up astonishing spikes and intelligent footwork in the pouring rain. 

Some fellow Singaporeans don't seem to have a problem picking a side when they have to though - in the name of fun and sport. 

At the China-Australia women's basketball semi-finals last night, two of the four Singaporeans I was with wore a red T-shirt that screamed "China" and chimed in when cheering got going. One wore the Rambo-esque "China must win" headband he had bought for 2.50 yuan while his wife waved one in the air like a ribbon. 

Behind us, a Mediterranean-looking guy repeatedly let out an off-pitch "zhongguo jiayou" ("Go, China"), to much laughter. 

But as the home crowd started booing the Australian side, all five of us Singaporeans, sitting among increasingly-disappointed Chinese spectators, clapped and cheered loudly for the Aussies - who were indeed playing better. 

When the Chinese team scored at the hoop, though, we also rewarded them with applause.

Perhaps all's fair in game and sport, afterall.

The United Colours of Beijing.
ST Photo: Sim Chi Yin