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There was an article in yesterday's ST about the lack of local buzz about this Sunday's historic race. I fully agree with the journalist that this is partly due to the lack of publicity directed at us locals (there was a clip of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber visiting a hawker centre, looking at the circuit from up high, etc on Eurosports but has there been anything more than what's in the daily news broadcast here?) and the way the F1 race has been presented as little more than a big economic opportunity.

Hope no one crashes into here and our pre-F1 heritage can be preserved for posterity

We all know there are many, many speedsters on and off the expressways but this doesn't necessarily translate into a very large number of F1 fans. And if one isn't an F1 fan, one just isn't a fan. How to be interested in something one is not interested in? Even if you had the World Cup (soccer) or Olympics here, some people wouldn't care two hoots.

The fact is we remain a not exactly sports-loving nation. It's very hard to drum up enthusiasm for sports when people are ambivalent or disinterested. And even when you do get some enthusiasm up in the air, it seems a little artificial. Like the reported 'euphoria' that enveloped the nation with that table tennis medal. I must confess that I was not part of the euphoria. I mean, I appreciate it is a great achievement to win Olympic honours and I'm glad we have another medal to our name but I definitely wasn't euphoric.

In fact, the only sporting things I've really cared about these two weeks were:
a) whether the boy wants to learn squash or tennis
b) Argentina vs Russia and Spain vs USA in the Davis Cup (wow, the atmosphere was really festive in Madrid, and those super-enthusiastic trumpet- and drum-playing supporters were amusing, though the Americans probably didn't find them so...)
c) David Ferrer and Andy Roddick then flew over to the China Open (and Ferrer has already lost! Aiyoh, that man is so inconsistent...)


Zheng Jie is still in the running at the China Open

So, I will also confess that I'm not an F1 fan and I really couldn't care any hoots if the race was held here or not. But of course I'll watch it (on TV, i.e.) since it will be here. I've watched parts of a couple of 'live' F1 telecasts and they were heart-stopping.
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