RI water polo team badly need tryout for SEA Games

RI water polo team badly need tryout for SEA Games

JAKARTA (JP): The national water polo team desperately needs a
tryout session with a stronger team to prepare itself for the
Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in September.

"Our national team is much stronger than others in the country
and it's difficult for PRSI to evaluate its performance. We need
to warm up with a better team, at least at a similar level, to
enable us to learn more and identify our weaknesses," PRSI's
water polo technical committee deputy Andreas Legawa, told The
Jakarta Post over the phone on Monday.

"PRSI has proposed that the National Sports Council (KONI)
send the national team to Japan for an overseas stint in late
July. But it will depend on KONI's financial situation."

Andreas revealed that most of Indonesia's opponents in the SEA
Games had sent their teams abroad for over a month.

"Malaysia is training in Armenia, Singapore in Europe, the
Philippines in Australia and Thailand has a training camp in
China."

PRSI tested its players' skills during the just-concluded mini
water polo team national championship at the Bung Karno swimming
pool.

Senior players were put into Pelatnas A team, while Pelatnas B
fielded junior players.

"Both teams comprise the best players from Jakarta, East Java,
North Sumatra, West Java and Jambi, selected from the Surabaya
2000 National Games (PON)," Andreas said, adding that both teams
had superb victories, with more than 10 points over their rivals.

"With such strength, it's hard for other domestic teams to
offer any resistance to the national team."

PRSI is currently grooming 15 players and has set itself a
target of second or third place. Indonesia grabbed bronze medal
at the 1999 Games in Brunei Darussalam. (nvn)