Indonesia names SEA Games spikers

Indonesia names SEA Games spikers

JAKARTA (JP): Seasoned spikers Laudry Maspaitella and Pascal Wilmar will lead the national team to continue its supremacy at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games volleyball competition in Chiang Mai, Thailand in December.

Secretary general of the Indonesian Volleyball Association (PBVSI) M. Solli said yesterday the men's team of 12, SEA Games three-time gold medalist, will also include capped Chandra Halim and Imam Agus Faisal.

Siti Nurjanah, Lilin Lindawati and Puji Astuni will again spearhead the women's team in a bid to end its 10-year gold medal drought and Thailand's long-time reign.

Indonesia's female spikers notched a memorable victory at home in 1987, but fell in the final hurdle twice at the hand of Thailand. They finished third behind Thailand and the Philippines in the 1993 Games in Singapore.

"Both team line-ups were decided by the coach council based on the players' performance throughout 1994," Solli said. The council is led by national 1993 best coach Winarto AR, who was also named the head coach of the national volleyball teams for the Games.

Solli also said the centralized training stint will start early next month, shortly after the fasting month. The national spikers will try out the newly dedicated volley compound at Sentul, West Java.

The new facilities, which cost PBVSI Rp 4 billion (US$1.8 million), was built in an attempt to help the national spikers boost their performance in all international levels.

PBVSI decided not to send athletes to the Asian Games in Hiroshima last year, saying that it would not be able to win the medals expected by the National Sports Council (KONI). The Indonesian men's team finished second behind Japan in the Asia- Pacific championship, a warm-up for the Asiad.

Frans Sopa will coach the men's team, while Putut Marhaento will make his debut as the coach for the women's squad. (amd)