Mahaka SM loses out again in ABC Champions Cup

Mahaka SM loses out again in ABC Champions Cup

JAKARTA (JP): Mahaka Satria Muda of Jakarta was forced to head
home early after its loss to Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia in a
group B match in the ABC Champions Cup at Ghazir Club Court in
Beirut, Lebanon.

Despite the basketball team's third consecutive loss, SM's
team manager Erick Thohir praised his players' performance
against the Saudi Arabians, the favorite in the event.

"They played very well, they showed their fighting spirit. But
we were outclassed by the Saudi Arabians. Al-Ittihad is superb,"
he told The Jakarta Post by phone on Tuesday.

The other favorites in the event are Al-Rayan of Qatar and
defending champion Sagesse of Lebanon from Group A, he said.
Besides Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the Indonesian team was in the
same group with Malaysia's Petronas and Al-Manama of Bahrain.
Other group A members are Al-Wahda of Syria, Zob Ahan of Iran and
Al-Qadsseya of Kuwait.

Erick said his club did not have a chance to finish as
runner-up in group A after Al-Ittihad and Al-Manama both won two
games. Petronas won one and lost one while Al-Rayan won one game
and still has three left to play.

"It's impossible for us to be the runner-up. However, I
consider our stint here as successful. The players may obtain
more experience after fighting with Asian players, who are taller
than them," he said.

Mahaka SM will meet Al-Rayan on Thursday. "We will try to
fight them in the first 10 minutes. After that, we will do our
best to check them but if their level is far above us, it's
over."

He said that three of the 12 players were listed as candidates
for ABC All Stars Selection.

The All Stars will visit Manila for a match-up between Asia's
top players and the superstar pros from the Philippine Basketball
Association (PBA). The match is scheduled for Aug. 6 at the
Philsports Arena in Pasig City, www.asianbasketball.com reported.

"The players are I Made Sudiadnyana, Rommy Chandra and Wahyu
Widayat. They are included in the list along with 21 other
players. The ABC will reduce the number of players to 12 before
they fight in the Philippines."

He said he would recommend seven players to the chairman of
the Indonesian Basketball Association, Sutiyoso, to be included
in the national basketball team for the 2001 Southeast Asian
(SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur.

He named the players as Syahrizal Affandi, Fictor G. Roring,
Wahyu Widayat, Amran A. Sinta, Dwui Eriano, all from Mahaka
Satria Muda, plus Sudiadnyana (Bhinneka Sritex Surakarta) and
Rommy (Indonesia Muda Texmaco).

"I recommend the senior players, because they showed their
solid cooperation both on and off the court. Let the junior ones
fight for the National Games (PON) while the seniors join the
national team while they are still capable," he said. (ivy)