Water polo team in good form before SEAG

Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian water polo team seems to be in good form for the upcoming Southeast Asia (SEA) Games, after winding up its overseas tryouts undefeated.

The team of 19 players, four coaches and two officials, played 13 games with 12 wins and a draw during their 15-day trip to Kuala Lumpur, Penang in Malaysia and Singapore.

Among the teams they beat were the Malaysian national team, as well as local clubs such as Penang's Chinese SC, Singaporean Queenstown Branch SC, Great White Aquatic SC and the Singapore Armed Forces club, according to the team's head coach Michael Siwalette.

The Malaysian team was defeated three times 16-10, 12-8, 11-7.

Indonesia's only draw of 8-8 came in their match against the Singaporean national team.

Michael told The Jakarta Post that the current team was the best Indonesia has had in 20 years.

"I have never seen a national team like this. The team is solid. The players are persistent in play," he said.

However, despite these encouraging results, he said that the Indonesia team was looking for third place at the SEA Games, which are scheduled to be held next month in Vietnam.

"The team may be solid, but 95 percent of the players are young members," he said. "Most of the players are 21 years old on average."

Michael said that they would choose 13 out of the 19 players for the Vietnam trip, where Singapore, along with Malaysia and Thailand, would be tough rivals

"The final team will be announced some time next week," he said.

He said that the Singaporean and Malaysian teams they played during the tryouts were mostly made up of players who were regular starters.