Water polo team aims for SEA Games gold
Water polo team aims for SEA Games gold
JAKARTA (JP): The national squad of water polo athletes have
expressed confidence in grabbing gold at the 20th Southeast Asian
(SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam in August.
The water polo committee and chairman of the National Sports
Council (KONI) Wismoyo Arismunandar met on Thursday to discuss
the preparation of the 15 athletes set to attend the Games.
The athletes said they were ready to fight for the top spot,
citing their substantial pre-Games training and the experience of
the squad members in previous Games.
Indonesia, although fielding water polo teams 11 times in the
SEA Games, is yet to strike gold. Past teams have collected all
up four silvers and five bronze medals. At the 1997 Games here,
the Indonesian water polo team was beaten by Singapore for the
gold.
Andreas Legawa, the water polo technical committee chief, said
Rumanian coach Paul Niculeascu had prepared a range of strategies
to beat their Southeast Asian opponents. The team's toughest
contender will be Singapore.
Niculeascu is no stranger to the national squad. He coached
the Games water polo national team in 1985, 1987 and 1997. Under
his guidance, Indonesia was successful with a bronze in 1985, and
silver in 1987 and 1997.
"The coach learned from the 1997 experience and developed new
strategies. We feel we are better prepared, so we want to obtain
the best results," said C. Calvin Legawa, one of the water polo
athletes who competed in the 1997 event.
Team member Angga said: "I want to take revenge for our defeat
in 1997. I have practiced hard. If we only get silver, my
practice will have been useless."
Team captain Olsen Tiger said the coach had briefed them on
the relative strengths of their competitors, and that this team
would be more formidable, because senior members motivated the
juniors to play their best.
The most senior athlete, Sumardji Bintoro Djarot, said he
would play to the utmost of his ability. "I have made numerous
sacrifices to compete in the Games. I want to restore the honor
of the country," the 31-year-old police chief sergeant told
Wismoyo.
The team will leave on Friday for a one-month tryout in
Bucharest, Rumania. They will compete with a local water polo
league team and return to Jakarta on July 23.(ivy)