National basketball team cannot play in Kobatama

National basketball team cannot play in Kobatama

JAKARTA (JP): Basketballers being groomed for the 19th
Southeast Asian (SEA) Games will not be allowed to compete in the
national basketball league competition -- Kobatama -- which
starts in Surabaya next week.

The Indonesian Basketball Association's Deputy, Sutiyoso, said
yesterday "the national players are to concentrate only on the
upcoming SEA Games".

"It's our commitment to win the basketball gold at the Games.
We will use our best players for the event.

"There's a possibility that if they compete in the Kobatama,
which will shift their concentration, the national team will
loose at the Games."

Fifteen men's basketballers have been groomed for the biennial
SEA Games which will be held from Oct. 11 to Oct. 19.

Sutiyoso said the decision would motivate second string
players to perform in the league.

"Those who used to sit on bench can start to show their skills
at Kobatama," he said.

Ten clubs - defending champion Aspac, Siliwangi, BS Nikko
Steel, Pelita Bakrie, Ades Satria Muda, Pacific Bank Swadesi,
Cahaya Lestari Surabaya, IM Texmaco, Bhinneka and Panasia
Indosyntec - will compete in the four-leg competition in Surabaya
from June 8 to June 14, in Malang, East Java, from June 30 to
July 6, in Jakarta from Aug. 4 to Aug. 11, and in Bogor, West
Java, from Sept. 1 to Sept. 7.

The semifinals and finals will be at Senayan, Jakarta, from
Oct. 26 and Oct. 28.

To stop player fights like the three that occurred last year,
a disciplinary committee - comprising association chairman
Sondang Meliala, Setia Dharma Majid, Agus Salim, Sam Lantang and
Lutfi Sukri.

The teams can still employ foreign players.

Aspac's manager, Irawan Haryono, said his team had been
preparing since beating the Philippines in the SEABA match last
year.

"If we can win the SEABA, Aspac can also win the Kobatama," he
said.

Ades Satria Muda's manager, Doedie Gambiro, said although many
of his team's players had gone to other clubs it would not be
easily beaten.

"We cruised to last year's semifinals. Now, with younger
players, we expect to reach the semifinals again. I'm not
pessimistic about a lack of experienced players because we have
groomed our athletes for five months," he said.

IM Texmaco's assistant manager, Lexy Rohi, said the only
target the team had set was to improve on last year.

Meanwhile, Sutiyoso, who is also the Jakarta Military Command
chief, said about 8,000 soldiers would secure all venues during
the SEA Games.

But he did not say what the soldiers would wear but plans for
them to have a new uniform.

"If I tell you now, it won't be a surprise anymore," he said.
(yan)