Sepaktakraw team set for Thai camp

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian sepaktakraw team will take part in a six-week training camp in Thailand ahead of the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

However, the team concedes that Thailand and Malaysia look unbeatable in this traditional Southeast Asian ball game, and the best it can reasonably hope for at the SEA Games in Vietnam is bronze.

"Thailand is unchallenged in the race for the gold. They hold competitions throughout the year, while Indonesia normally only has short-term preparations (for major events)," Indonesian coach Somkiet Sungsatitanon, who comes from Thailand, said here on Friday.

Thailand won all three sepaktakraw gold medals on offer at the last SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2001, while Indonesia had to be content with two bronzes.

Sungsatitanon said the men's and women's teams, each consisting of 14 athletes, would hold a number of scrimmages with local teams during its time in Thailand.

"The players lack competition at home. They need some game experience," he said.

Yusri Pake, one of the men's team's aces, said the Thai outing was important because there were no strong opponents at home against which they could test their skills.

"We were content with the bronzes in Vietnam," he said. "A silver is all we can really hope for (in Vietnam) because Thailand is certainly poised to take the golds."

The sepaktakraw competition at the SEA Games will offer six golds in the men's and women's team, regu and circle game events.