Stepping Stone to Higher Levels in Asia and the World

The Indonesian basketball team made history by winning its first gold medal at the SEA Games. However, its main target is actually the Asian and world level. The same can be said for the aim of Apriyani/Siti.

KELVIN HIANUSA

Indonesian basketball team players celebrate after winning the first gold in the history of participating in the 2021 Vietnam SEA Games at Thanh Tri Indoor Stadium, Hanoi, on Sunday (22/5/2022). Indonesia ensured gold after conquering the defending champion since 1991, the Philippines, 85-81.

KOMPAS, HANOI — The Indonesian national basketball team made a miracle by winning its first gold medal in 45 years of its participation in the SEA Games. The dream-come-true achievement will be their biggest asset when stepping up to a global level at the FIBA Asian Cup next July.

After the long bell rang at the Thanh Tri Indoor Stadium, Hanoi, on Sunday (22/5/2022), the tense atmosphere in the basketball arena, filled with thousands of spectators, melted into happiness and pride. Indonesia beat the Philippines, 85-81, in the 2021 SEA Games men's basketball match.

The Indonesian players, led by veteran basketball player Abraham Damar, hugged and cried, and Derrick Michael Xzavierro, making his debut for the team, even shouted loudly, releasing his tension.

In the stands, dozens of Indonesian supporters jumped for joy while waving the red and white national flag. Milos Pejic, the head coach of the Indonesian basketball national team, who had looked very tense before, now repeatedly wiped his eyes.

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Abraham was happy. He did not stop crying until the dressing room. He continued to cover his face with the red and white flag that he brought from the field. In front of him, Derrick stared at the ceiling of the dressing room with teary cheeks.

“It is a feeling that cannot be expressed in words. It is not every day that we have the opportunity to make history. I always feel like a frog in a shell. However, today, we proved that we can beat the Philippines, which is quite respected in Asia,” said Abraham, a player who scored 17 points.

For them, the victory seemed impossible. The men's team, which failed to win a medal at the 2019 Philippine SEA Games, unexpectedly defeated the defending champion, reigning since 1991. The Philippines, which was supported by the Ravena brothers, is also an Asian giant. In their last match at the Asian Cup qualifiers, the Indonesian team was crushed by the Philippines with a score difference of more than double digits. Indonesia was only envisioning a silver medal in men's basketball.

However, they topped the final standings using the round-robin system. They collected 6 wins without losing once. The Philippines had to settle for a silver medal (5 wins, 1 loss).

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

The Indonesian basketball team coach Milos Pejic gives instructions to his athletes who competed against the Vietnam basketball national team in the basketball match at the 2021 SEA Games Vietnam at the Thanh Tri Gymnasium, Hanoi, Vietnam, Saturday (21/5/2022). The Indonesian basketball national team was superior to the host basketball team Vietnam with a score of 94-67.

Thanks to the arrival of Pejic, a new coach who specializes in defense, Indonesia's “fortress” has become much stronger. The strong defense was the foundation for the six victories in the SEA Games. This defense gave Indonesia an edge over the Philippines from the outset of the match.

Pejic replaced Rajko Toroman, who has served as the technical director of the Indonesian basketball national team since last March. Even though Pejic had only trained the Indonesian players for about a month, they already understood the defensive system. Toroman, who had been in charge of the team for the past three years, remains involved in the team's attack drills.

According to Pejic, his team could change completely thanks to the presence of new naturalized players who appeared in the NBA G-League, Marques Bolden and debut player Derrick Xzavierro. The two players, who are both over 2 meters tall, were essential to Indonesia's victory over the Philippines. Bolden scored 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Derrick scored 14 points and 7 rebounds.

"We can compete physically with one of the best teams in Asia. It shows we can be competitive in the Asian Cup. That's one of the reasons we are so satisfied today," said Pejic, who won gold in his coaching debut for the Indonesian team.

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In the dressing room, there was silence as Toroman spoke. He praised his team and reminded them that the SEA Games is not the final goal. They want a bigger achievement.

"You have showed you can compete with all the teams. Now use this momentum to head for the Asian Cup. We have to be better prepared than we are currently. We have a chance in the Asian Cup. The most important thing is to believe in our team," said Toroman, who shared the dressing room with Pejic.

Indonesia will host the 2022 Asian Cup. They will face a tough challenge, namely being in the same group with Australia, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. This event is very important because it is a requirement to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, which will also take place in Indonesia.

If Indonesia can enter the top eight at the Asian Cup, it can qualify directly for the main round of the 2023 World Cup. The miracle at SEA Games has encouraged them to hope for a further surprise in July. “There is no reason not to be optimistic,” says Abraham.

The aim of reaching a higher level is shared by the women's doubles of Indonesian badminton, Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia, after winning gold at the SEA Games in Vietnam on Sunday. The new pair beat Thai doubles, Benyapa Aimsaard/Nuntakarn Aimsaard, 21-17, 21-14, in the final.

The gold medal in Vietnam is the first achievement for Apriyani/Siti in a multi-sport event since they were first paired in February 2022. Previously, Apriyani was paired with Greysia Polii.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Indonesian women's doubles pair Apriyani Rahayu (left) and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (right) with the gold medal they won in women's doubles in the badminton SEA Games Vietnam 2021 at Bac Giang Gymnasium, Bac Giang, Vietnam, Sunday (22/5/2022). Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti won gold medals after beating Thailand's women's doubles Benyapa Aimsaard and Nuntakaran Aimsaard.

Before winning the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Greysia/Apriyani won the SEA Games gold, in the Philippines 2019, for the first time. At that time, they also defeated the doubles from Thailand.

Hopefully, Apriyani/Siti will follow up with success at the world level after Greysia's retirement. Eng Hian, an Indonesian badminton women's doubles coach, said that the main target for the new pair is the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 2021 SEA Games was considered an early competition to observe their cohesiveness. Eng Hian hopes that Apriyani/Siti can continue to improve. "There are still many shortcomings, especially regarding the game pattern that is not yet solid. There is still much to improve and strengthen. However, at least there is a vision for Apriyani and Fadia regarding the next steps to be taken. That will be my homework,” said Eng Hian after the match in Vietnam.

Apriyani acknowledged that the SEA Games was the right place for her and Siti to unite their “hearts” -- and game patterns. The ideal game pattern has not yet been formed, because both were formerly in charge of guarding the back of the team's game.

“Here, we learn to make patterns. So, later it has to be established who will guard the front and back. It will be a process," said Apriyani.

Paris Olympics

On the same occasion, Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali said that Apriyani/Siti's main target was a medal at the Paris Olympics. For him, the SEA Games is just a preliminary step -- a stepping stone.

"Once again, the target is the 2024 Paris Olympics," said Amali. Indonesia also added to its collection of SEA Games gold medals from a number of Olympic branches, namely shooting and volleyball. The Indonesian shooting team ended the last day of the competition as the overall champion in that branch. On Sunday, the gold in shooting was won by Anang Yulianto in the men's 25 m standard pistol and by Muhammad Sejahtera Dwi Putra in the men's 10 m running target.

I am optimistic that we can finish this SEA Games in the top three.

In other divisions, the Indonesian volleyball team defended their gold after overcoming the host, Vietnam, 3-0. With this gold, Indonesia maintained its position in the third place of the provisional medal tally, just after Vietnam and Thailand.

Being in the top three, just as President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo hoped for, is Indonesia's best achievement in the SEA Games in the last decade. In the previous two competitions, Indonesia finished fourth and fifth.

"I am optimistic that we can finish this SEA Games in the top three," said the chairman of the Indonesian Contingent Ferry J Kono in a press statement.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.