Boxers become the nation's greatest pride
By Johannes K. Simbolon
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's boxing team started the SEA Games weakly to disappoint the public, but ended the competition by becoming the pride of the country.
The team grabbed six of the 11 contested gold medals, the largest haul ever achieved since Indonesia started to participate in the Southeast Asian countries' sporting festival in 1977.
Indonesia had won four gold medals on two previous occasions, in the 1987 Games in Jakarta and the 1989 Games in Kuala Lumpur. Its nadir came in the 1995 SEA Games in Chiang Mai, from which the team returned empty-handed.
Thailand, which swept all 11 golds in the 1995 Games, took four golds, while the Philippines picked up the remaining one.
"This is a historic victory," said Indonesian coach Wiem Gommies, who was among Indonesia's gold medalists in both 1987 and 1989.
Indonesia had targeted only four golds, believing it impossible to surpass its 1987 and 1989 achievements.
Thailand came brimming with self-confidence, believing that its boxers would grab five to six golds despite the absence of 1996 Atlanta Olympics gold and bronze medalists: Somlak Hamsing and Wychai Kadpho.
Cuban instructor Juli Lee Hechevaria, who along with his compatriot Isidoro Rothman, has been hired to train Indonesian boxers for three years, said that Indonesian fighters were always taken aback when facing Thailand's fighters.
The words rang true in the beginning.
Four of the six Indonesian boxers fielded on the first semifinals day -- featherweight (57 kg) Rico Maspaitella, light welterweight (63.5 kg) Meckson Barataman, light middleweight (71 kg) Aswin Cabui, and light heavyweight (81 kg) Syarif Hidayat -- faced Thai boxers and lost.
The loss disappointed the 4,000 crowd who packed the Soemantri Brodjonegoro sports hall, South Jakarta.
Boxing observer Syamsul Anwar Harahap blamed the loss on the Cuban trainers. "Where are the fruits of the training given by the Cuban fighters," he angrily asked.
But, the disappointment turned into joy the following day as Indonesian boxers dominated the second day of semifinals, defeating three Thai boxers.
Indonesia went into the finals day with renewed self- confidence and took six of the seven gold medals it contested. The only loser was pinweight (45 kg) Rusli, who was outpointed by Thailand's left-handed boxer Songsak Kantao.
The six victorious boxers were light flyweight (48 kg) Lapaene Massara who beat Malaysia's Sapok Biki; flyweight (51 kg) Hermensen Ballo who outpointed Thailand's Paramuansak Phosuwan; bantamweight (54 kg) Dufri Mashihor who defeated Malaysia's Adnan Yusoh; lightweight (60 kg) Wilpare Jamhur who outpointed Elmer Pamisa of the Philippines; welterweight (67 kg) Bara Gomies who defeated Jessie Flores of the Philippines, and middleweight (75 kg) Albert Papilaya who beat Thailand's Bancha Morisorn.
Hechevaria said Indonesian boxers could gain confidence from the fact that they were able to beat Thai fighters after relying on their instructors.
"They believed in their instructors, followed their words. In doing so, they gradually came to believe they could defeat Thai boxers," Hechevaria told The Jakarta Post.