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)