Aspac optimistic to win 2000 basketball league<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Home team favorite Aspac was optimistic of its
\nchances to win the President's trophy in the 2000 Nuvo Kobatama
\nnational basketball league due to its preparation.<\/p>\n
Aspac will face Jakarta-based Indonesia Muda (IM) Texmaco
\nwhile Bandung-based Panasia Indosyntec will play defending
\nchampion Mahaka Satria Muda in Saturday's semifinals.<\/p>\n
The finals will be staged on Sunday. Both matches will take
\nplace in the Senayan indoor stadium.<\/p>\n
Captain Agustinus Ferry Rinaldo said Aspac was not afraid of
\nmeeting IM, the only club that managed to beat Aspac during the
\nthird series in Jakarta. Aspac only lost one of 16 matches to
\nassure its domination.<\/p>\n
\"IM players must be mentally prepared to face us because they
\nbeat us once in the third series. We must put them under constant
\npressure during the whole match and we won't let them develop
\ntheir skills.<\/p>\n
\"Our players have better individual skills and team
\ncooperation than IM. We just don't want to be careless.\"<\/p>\n
Aspac team manager Irawan Haryono shared Rinaldo's opinion,
\nsaying that the team had assured its victory since it prepared
\nfor the league.<\/p>\n
\"After winning the league, we will tell the national
\nbasketball team our strategy and tactics that made us win,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Rinaldo also said his team would not repeat the same mistake
\nit made in the 1999 semifinals, when the team saw the league's
\ntitle slip out of their hands.<\/p>\n
Aspac, which topped the group's standings and was heavily
\nfavored as a champion, lost to Bhinneka Sritex of Surakarta,
\nwhich finished fourth in the group in the semis.<\/p>\n
\"At that time, we were overconfident because we were the
\ngroup's champions and tended to underestimate our rivals. That
\nwon't happen again this year,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Mahaka's captain Amran A. Sinta kept a low profile regarding
\nhis team's chances, saying that Mahaka had never targeted the
\nleague's title.<\/p>\n
\"We have never forced ourselves to be the champion. We only
\ntell ourselves not to lose in any of the matches. We lost three
\ntimes in a row in the fourth series in Bandung, but we believe
\nthat luck will not last forever.\"<\/p>\n
\"A successful team is one which keeps enthusiastic and manages
\nto win through its hard work.\"<\/p>\n
In two previous encounters, Mahaka did not win over Panasia.
\nNone of Panasia's officials showed up at the media gathering.<\/p>\n
IM coach Muhammad Rifky said his team would try its best to
\nreach the final. He also expressed hope that each team would
\nmaintain sportsmanship in the matches.<\/p>\n
The final four matches will also feature women's rapper Denada
\nand male rapper Iwa K. Besides the Cup, each finalist will
\nreceive Rp 100 million (US$10,600) in cash. (ivy)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aspac-optimistic-to-win-2000-basketball-league-1447893297",
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