Indonesian cagers short on stamina

JAKARTA (JP): The poor physical and mental state of local basketball players is holding back Indonesia in its quest to find international success in basketball, an Indonesian Basketball Association official said over the weekend.

"Because the physical and mental conditions of the players are weak, we are forced to develop basketball players from a very young age," said Ary Sudarsono, head of the association's youth development program in Semarang on Saturday.

During a basketball clinic Ary said that the players do not have much motivation or self discipline, Antara reported.

"They don't even stand up to respect the national anthem Indonesian Raya," Ary said, adding that players abroad immediately stand at attention when they hear their anthems.

Ary said that an athlete's psychological condition is important to a team's success, but that the mentality must be developed from early on, at the elementary and high school levels.

He said basketball clinics for students are supposed to instill discipline so athletes can prepare to become national players.

According to Ary, the clinics are the first step towards an NCAA-like students league, which the association is planning for next year.

The clinics will take place from April until June in Bogor, West Java; Central Java's Semarang, Surakarta and Yogyakarta; East Java's Surabaya; West Java's Bandung; Ujungpandang in South Sulawesi; and Medan, North Sumatra. (05)