Two players dropped from national water polo team

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has dropped two regular players from its water polo team for December's Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Sugandhi and Ekram Ali were sidelined following their final try out in the Asian Championship in Bangkok two weeks ago.

National coach Raja Nasution said yesterday that Sugandhi would not join the team due a fractured hand. Ekram failed to pass the fitness test.

"We have decided to call Go Julius and Teuku Radek Iskandar as substitutes," said Raja, who is also the national women's swimming coach. Indonesian top swimmers Elfira Rosa, Elsa Manora and Maya Masita are products of their father Raja's coaching stint.

Raja said the two absentees wouldn't affect the team's aim of getting the silver. "There is only a small modification in our team. We are out to grab at least the silver," he said.

Indonesia won the bronze in the 1993 SEA Games in Singapore.

Raja also asked the National Sports Council to urge the 18th SEA Games Organizing Committee to select neutral referees.

"I learned from the Asian Championship that Chinese referees favored the host team only because they are also coaching home players," Raja complained.

"We need truly neutral referees. Neutral means to have no commitment at all with a competing team," Raja said.

Indonesia finished fifth from the bottom at the 23 team Asian water polo meet. It crashed to SEA Games champion Singapore 10-2 and to host Thailand 6-5. Indonesia salvaged some pride by beating Vietnam 21-7.

It was the first international appearance of Raja's men since they took the bronze in the 1993 SEA Games.

Also yesterday, the National Sports Council scheduled a public hearing for Nov. 4. "We want to hear what people have to say about our preparations for the SEA Games," the council's spokesman, Ishadi, said.

"We also want them to criticize us and help us find solution to the problems we are facing in developing national sports," he added.

Sports figures are also expected to attend the gathering, the third hosted by the council. (amd)