National basketball team undergoes final workout<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The national basketball team will challenge
\nlocal clubs as its final preparation for the 20th Southeast Asian
\n(SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam next month.<\/p>\n
Coach Tjetjep Firmansyah said on Monday that his team would
\nmeet Mahaka Satria Muda club on July 27 and Aspac club on July
\n29. The games will allow players to develop a competitive spirit
\nand adapt to the mental pressure caused by basketball games.<\/p>\n
\"We want to evaluate our weaknesses. We want to know the
\nplayers' response when they meet weaker teams. It's just a test,
\nwe are not talking about winning and losing,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The national squad is taking part in an exhibition game
\norganized by the Indonesian Basketball Association (Perbasi) and
\nthe newly launched sports management company PT 3Points Media
\nPromosindo. The exhibition will take place at Senayan basket hall
\nat 5 p.m.<\/p>\n
The national team will meet Kobatama team -- consisting of top
\nplayers from six clubs, including three players who were expelled
\nfrom the national team: Pek King Dhay (Pacific Bank Swadesi) and
\nHari Suharsono (CNS) and other players from Indonesia Muda
\nTexmaco and Mahaka Satria Muda.<\/p>\n
\"Frankly speaking, the team we face tomorrow is stronger than
\nMahaka Satria Muda and Aspac. I'll consider that we have
\nestablished a good team if it wins the three games,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tjetjep said his team would use the games to improve teamwork.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, which has set its sights on a silver medal, will
\nface a tough challenge from seven other competitors in the round-
\nrobin. One tough contender is the Philippines, winner of the
\nSoutheast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) championship.<\/p>\n
\"I am not sure whether we can reach the finals, but I hope we
\ncan grab the silver,\" Tjetjep said.<\/p>\n
Separately, the Indonesian Swimming Federation (PRSI) will
\nmost likely enlist the men's 4X100 meters freestyle relay team to
\ncompete in the qualifying round for the 2000 Olympic Games after
\nthe SEA Games, which also serve as an Olympics pre-qualifying
\nround.<\/p>\n
Lukman Niode, SEA Games training director, said the team would
\nconsist of Wisnu Wardhana, Richard Sam Bera and twin brothers
\nAlbert and Felix Sutanto.<\/p>\n
\"The team has been named as the world's best eight in the
\n4X100 freestyle relay,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Lukman said Indonesia had less of a chance in the individual
\nevents, saying Richard had the world highest ranking in the
\nnational team. Richard's world ranking is in the 30s.<\/p>\n
Richard, a 50m and 100m free-style swimmer, will join the
\nnational squad for the SEA Games this week. The veteran swimmer
\nrecently competed in the three-day Janet Evans invitational meet
\nin Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n
Richard clocked 51.78 seconds in the 100m and 23.8 seconds in
\nthe 50m.<\/p>\n
\"He's outstanding. He's now 98 percent of his peak performance
\nfor the Games,\" Lukman said.<\/p>\n
He said he would see if the women's team could also compete in
\nthe Olympics qualifying round, which was expected to be held by
\nthe end of this year.<\/p>\n
\"We'll see the development. We will see if they can recover to
\nreach their peak form by the end of the year,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The SEA Games swimming events will held from Aug. 8 to Aug.
\n13.(ivy)<\/p>",
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