National team arrives in Manila ready to do battle
National team arrives in Manila ready to do battle
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
As the main group of national athletes arrived in Manila on
Thursday for the 23rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, a leading
national sports official stressed that only athletes with a
strong chance of medaling would compete.
"I have evaluated the reports from each sport's officials.
Based on the latest condition of the athletes during the training
buildup, I can say that the athletes are ready to fight to win
and succeed," chef de mission Djoko Pramono was quoted as saying
by Antara news service after 180 athletes and officials arrived
in the afternoon.
Djoko, who is also deputy chairman of the National Sports
Council (KONI), refused to set a target for medals at the 10-day
Games that officially open on Sunday.
In September, however, he conceded that Indonesia -- a nine-
time overall medal winner of the regional sporting showcase but
with its last victory in 1997 at home -- would be unlikely to
usurp powerful Thailand.
Thursday's group is part of the total national contingent of
779 athletes and 404 officials; another five batches -- including
representatives of badminton, wrestling, wushu and table tennis
who are scheduled to touch down on Friday -- will arrive on a
staggered schedule through Tuesday.
Competition is already under way in the Games -- held in the
Philippines for the third time in its 46-year history -- in water
polo and soccer.
In Los Banos, Laguna, outside Manila, the national water polo
team finally recorded a win after three losses, beating Malaysia
6-4 on Thursday.
Undefeated Singapore are assured the top spot on the podium
when the Games' first gold is handed out on Friday, but Indonesia
have a slim chance at a medal from their final game against
Thailand.
"A win will probably earn us a bronze. Let's try and pray for
that," team manager Andreas Legawa told Antara.
In Bacolod City, the national U-23 soccer team was held to its
second straight goalless draw, with goalkeeper Samsider forced to
fend off the spirited second-half attack of Singapore in Group B.
The team, who drew with Myanmar on Tuesday, next play undefeated
Vietnam -- who beat Singapore 2-1 and Laos 8-2 -- on Saturday.
In Marikina City, where women's soccer is making its debut as
a medal sport, the Indonesian women suffered a 0-5 mauling by
Myanmar.
"We have to acknowledge that our team lost on the mental
front," women's team coach Hamdani Lubis said of the team, which
also fell 1-2 to Thailand on Tuesday.
"If they already feel down, then their play will be erratic."
On Sunday, 15 gold medals will be up for grabs in six sports:
karate (4) diving (3) athletics (3), chess (2), dancesport (2)
and billiards and snooker (1).
Meanwhile, national fencing manager Suhartono Suratman said
his athletes' performance should peak next week following
training in China.
"I have carried out my job in giving them the chance to
improve. Now it is all up to their aspirations and ambition to
win. Fate also intervenes at times because fencing is a sport
based on judging," he said upon the team's arrival from
Guangzhou, China.