No mercy: Brazilians boo Tang out of the tournament as HK paddler struggles against inspired opponent

Brazilian fans are skilled at booing the opposition without actually booing. And that’s basically what they did to Hong Kong’s Tang Peng in the third round of the men’s singles table tennis tournament on Sunday night (Monday morning HK time).

Tang’s opponent was Brazil’s fresh-faced 20-year-old Hugo Calderano, 15 years younger than Tang and unseeded but infused with skills and shots he never knew he had; drawn from the energy of the boisterous crowd.

Calderano prevailed 4-2 (8-11, 14-12, 11-7, 4-11, 12-10, 11-7) and admitted later he didn’t really know what he was doing. He didn’t need to know, he had the deafening chorus of song and feet-stomping from the fans, which was so sustained and well-directed, Tang had no doubt they hated him.

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The few boos that did ring out when Tang faced game points were shushed by fans in a token gesture of sportsmanship. The fear was that the boos might have even inspired Tang. Instead, he was simply crushed by the overwhelming love shown to Calderano and utter apathy towards the Hong Kong player’s plight.