Mahaka Satria Muda set to defend league title
Mahaka Satria Muda set to defend league title
JAKARTA (JP): Defending champion Mahaka Satria Muda of Jakarta
aims to defend its title in the 2000 Nuvo Kobatama national
basketball league final four.
Mahaka's team captain, Amran A. Sinta, said his club was well
prepared for the upcoming event at the Senayan Indoor Stadium on
Nov. 18 and Nov. 19.
Mahaka will face Bandung-based Panasia Indosyntec in the
semifinals while the other match will feature home favorite Aspac
and Indonesia Muda (IM) Texmaco.
"I'm optimistic that we can beat Panasia Indosyntec. Moreover,
Panasia will be without its top center Saut Lambok Jonson," he
told a media briefing on Wednesday.
Jonson, former member of the national team in 1999, has moved
to Aspac ahead of this year's league.
The semifinals match between Mahaka and Panasia will be the
second encounter for both clubs since Mahaka was inaugurated in
1999.
Their first meet in the 1999 league's semifinal ended bitterly
when Panasia walked out of the match in protest to the referee's
decision. Panasia was banned from national competitions for six-
months and was fined Rp 10 million (US$1060).
Mahaka beat Bhinneka Sritex of Surakarta in the final.
Mahaka's men's team will still rely on its senior player
Fictor Roring and Wahyu Widayat Jati. While its women's division
Mahaputri has included veteran women's player Tuti Gunawan in its
lineup. The women's final four will take place on Nov. 10 and
Nov. 11.
Mahaka's general manager, Erick Thohir, said his team would
not lodge any strong protests for unfair treatment.
"For me, winning or losing is God's decision. We know that
referees' decisions might be controversial but we will question
in a peaceful manner," he said.
The Indonesian Basketball Association (Perbasi) official in
charge of Kobatama, Doedi Gambiro, said the association had hired
two referees from Australia to supervise the semifinal and the
final match.
The semifinal event will be the first experience for
Mahaputri, which just moved under Mahaka foundation. Mahaputri,
formerly belonging to Aspac, will face Rajawali of Bandung.
"We want to win over Rajawali in the semifinals. But it
depends on good teamwork on court," said team captain Puspa Indah
Pamungkas. (ivy)