Two players dropped from national water polo team
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)