After following the Guinness 9-Ball Tour 2008 for five legs, Kelvin Leong thought he had seen it all in the sport.

But how wrong he was!

As the top ten players arrived in Jakarta for the Grand Finals, they probably never realized the degree of fanatical support that was awaiting them.

Fans came in droves and the players did not even have to wait for the competition to start to understand the meaning of being a star.

Reigning Grand Champion, Chang Jung-Lin (pool devil) was instantly recognized at the airport by some of the immigration staff who pointed out excitedly when they realized the person standing before them was the same man on the huge poster that greeted passengers at the arrival hall.

And it became an even bigger star-gazing day out for the airport staff when word filtered through that Wu Chia Ching (Tarzen kid), Yang Chin Shun (Son of Pool) and Wang Hung Hsiang (The Great Sage) were traveling alongside Chang.

The very next day, local bet, Ricky Yang, was ready to move from his seat at the press conference only to be stopped by a barrage of eager journalists who all wanted a word from the pool ace.

While the questions were flowing, the group of journalists started to double, and by the end of the session, Ricky's minders had to create a path and usher him away.

Fast-forward to day one at the Preliminary Round, Filipino star, Alex ‘The Lion' Pagulayan played his first game of the day against compatriot, Dennis Orcollo.

The Lion lost in a tight 9-8 finish but the moment the game ended, fans were crowding behind his seat, wanting to get an autograph.

Pagulayan who is arguably, the most charismatic player on the Tour duly obliged but little did he know that there was a sea of fans waiting for him at the exit.

It took the Singapore leg champion a whole thirty minutes before he managed to finish posing for pictures and signing autographs.

But if there was an award for the best pool fan of the Guinness 9-Ball Tour, it would have to go to a Chinese-Taipei female who was in Jakarta to support her favourite player.

A gorgeous girl, dressed in a flower-print dress with a gift in hand, was seen fervently prancing around the competition arena and after awhile, she approached technical director, Simon Chang.

She wanted Simon to pass a gift she had bought for one of the Taiwanese players.

A very common thing for fans to do for their idols you might say.

But this girl, flew all the way in from Taipei, landed at noon, and rushed down to the competition venue straightaway.

All for the sake of wanting to pass a gift to her idol.

It might sound silly to many of us, who mock these fans who show their affection so publicly, but ask any players in any sport and they will tell you one thing.

They are nothing without the fans.

So we salute you, pool fans out there, for showing your undying love for the players but more importantly, for your passion in the sport.

Keep on coming I say!