Sepaktakraw team set for Thai camp

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.