SEA Games: Videos of duo playing dhol at football match go viral

PETALING JAYA: When Shaunvinder Singh and Gurmesh Singh played the dhol during a SEA Games football match at the Shah Alam stadium a few days ago, they never imagined that their exploits would "go viral" around the world.

Videos of them playing the Indian instrument were being shared by international artists such as Panjabi MC on their social media pages.

The videos showed how Malaysian football fans were dancing and celebrating "bhangra style" to the hypnotising beats of the drums.

"The entire thing was only possible because of our friends who kept asking us to play. We were shy at first and even wanted to keep the instruments back in the car," Gurmesh, 24, told The Star Online on Thursday.

Malaysia won the match against Myanmar 3-1, sparking scenes of jubilation at the stadium on Monday.

The graphic designer from Pahang said that the experience of playing the dhol other than at a Punjabi event was exhilarating.

The dhol is typically played at Punjabi wedding receptions and other functions.

He said that things became "really crazy" after the match ended, with football fans urging them to beat the drums.

He said they played it for at least 30 minutes after the end of the game.

"It was nice to see people of all races celebrating together. Music and sports can bring people together," he said, adding that his father taught him the importance of unity and respect for everybody.

Shaunvinder, 19, who is an IT student said that they were unsure if they could even bring in the musical instrument into the stadium.

"We were scared at first but once Malaysia started scoring, everyone got excited and we started playing. I was proud being a Malaysian," said Shaunvinder who is from Penang.

Netizens had commended the videos, saying that it showed Malaysian unity at its best.

Shaunvinder and Gurmesh who are from the group Dhol Riderz are planning to play the instrument at several more events including the semi-finals of the SEA Games football match on Saturday.

See our full coverage of SEA Games 2017