Wearing a red-and-white hat decorated with shuttlecocks, Hariyanto is easy to spot in even the most crowded badminton venue as he exuberantly cheers on the Indonesian team at international competitions.

His distinctive shouts of support — delivered in his signature husky voice — alerts the Indonesian shuttlers of his much-appreciated presence, especially whenever they score a point.

“Badminton is my third love, which comes after Indonesia and its people,” Hariyanto told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the 2018 Thomas and Uber Cup championships at the IMPACT Arena, Thailand on Thursday.

Hariyanto is a familiar name to most badminton lovers in the country. He is a die-hard fan of the sport and has dedicated his life to supporting the Red-and-White team in various competitions, including the ongoing cup.

Pak Yanto, as he is popularly referred to, is often spotted sitting in the bleachers of various stadiums, sporting an eccentric outfit while cheering — in a unique way — for Indonesian players.

The 54-year-old said he had been watching Indonesian teams compete since the 1980s.

“My first experience coming to the stadium was in the 1980s, attending a tournament in Kuala Lumpur,” he said, adding that he had visited All England, the oldest badminton tournament, twice.

Hariyanto moved to Kuala Lumpur in the 1980s and has been working in the country ever since.

He said he would take on any job to earn a living but declined to reveal his true profession.

“I will do any job, from A-to-Z, as long as it is legal,” he said.

Hariyanto explained that doing various jobs has allowed him to save up enough money to regularly attend tournaments.

He recalled spending about Rp 60 million (US$4,252) on a trip to Kunshan, China, to support Indonesian players in the 2016 Thomas and Uber Cup.

“I wonder why my wife is so supportive of my devotion to the sport,” the father of six said with a smile, adding that his children also supported his badminton fandom.

To attend the 2018 cup, Hariyanto said he started saving the moment he found out about the tournament’s venue about a year ago.

Traveling around the world to support the Indonesian team has given Hariyanto plenty of stories to tell.

On the good side, Hariyanto enjoys the opportunity of witnessing Indonesian sportspeople create history, including when Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan, as well as Greysia Polii and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari secured gold medals at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

On the down side, Hariyanto said he was sometimes ill-treated by home fans, including when Indonesia played against Malaysia in Malaysia. The infamous rivalry between Indonesia and Malaysia has also reached sports, including badminton.

Hariyanto unwavering devotion to the sport and the Indonesian athletes who play it is almost palpable when he speaks about his favorite shuttlers.

“Players like Lim Swie King, Rudy Hartono and Ardy B. Wiranata are quite familiar to me,” he said, referring Indonesia’s all-time badminton legends.

“Meanwhile, [Olympic gold medalists] Susy Susanti and Alan Budikusuma know me. I even call them by their names without ‘Pak’ or ‘Ibu’ because I’ve been cheering for them since the beginning [of their careers] and they are okay with that.”

Because of his dedication, the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) officially named him the sport’s most devoted supporter 2016.

“I love the sport because it has made this country proud,” he added.

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