Indonesian men’s water polo athlete Ridjkie Mulia (white) tries to pass the ball against the challenge of Malaysian athlete Mohd Irsyad Syakir B in the first SEA Games Kuala Lumpur 2017 water polo match in the National Aquatic Centre, Kuala Lumpur Sport City, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday (15/8). Indonesia beat Malaysia 4-3.
KUALA LUMPUR, KOMPAS – Indonesia’s men’s water polo team earned a chance to take home a medal after it made it through its first test and overcame various pressures. Unfortunately, the result was not duplicated by the women’s water polo team.
“This was our first match and we were playing the host team. Our team has not performed optimally. However, this is an important win; a win in the first match of a competitive tournament. Despite not playing our best, we won the match,” Milos Sakovic, Indonesia’s water polo team coach, told Kompas reporter Aryo Wisanggeni Genthong in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, following the team’s first match, which was against Malaysia. However, he was sure Indonesia would perform better when facing Thailand on Thursday (17/8).
“In every match, every team tries to gain a victory. It is important for the Indonesian national team to step up their performance. The players looked nervous in the first match,” said the coach from Serbia.
Indonesian water polo player Rezza Aditya said it was very difficult to play the first match. “We will work on our weaknesses and win the following matches,” he vowed.
Indonesia had led Malaysia 4-2 with goals from Ridjkie Mulia (two goals), Delvin Felliciano and Yusuf Budiman. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s two goals were scored by Fam Jia Yi and M Irsyad Syahrir B. In the middle of the third quarter, Malaysian player Fam Jia Yi added another goal, bringing the score to 4-3.
From then on, Malaysia continued to press in search for an equalizer. The pressure continued in the last quarter. Even though they only attacked twice, the Indonesian players defended effectively. At the end of the last quarter, the score line remained 4-3.
Malaysian coach Voon Yoon Hui regretted his team’s defeat at the hands of Indonesia. “I am not happy losing to Indonesia. However, we tried and will try to win the next match,” Voon told the PB PRSI team.
On paper, the Indonesian water polo team is superior to its opponents. However, apart from the hosts, Indonesia must also be wary of the Philippines and Singapore.
Two players injured
Unfortunately, the positive result of the men’s water polo team could not be followed by the women’s team. The Indonesian women’s team had to surrender to Singapore after losing by a thin margin, 6-7, yesterday. What is worrying, the PB PRSI said, was that two Indonesian players sustained hand injuries at the end of the match.
The two injured players were Siti Balkis and Indonesia’s goal scorer, Rani Raida. Balkis injured fingers on her left hand in the first quarter. Rani’s fingers, meanwhile, were swollen after getting caught in an opponent’s shirt.
“Since the beginning, we had a strong desire to beat Singapore. However, we lost. My next task is to improve [the players’] confidence when facing Thailand in the second match [Wednesday], because at the end of the first match, the players were crying,” said Indonesian women’s team coach, Zoran Kontic.
In the first quarter, which went on for eight minutes, the two teams failed to score a goal. In the second quarter, Singapore took the lead through a goal from Yi Wen. Indonesia managed to level the score line through Rani Raida.
However, after that, Singapore scored goal after goal, leaving Indonesia behind at 6-1. Three more goals from Rani Raida reduced the deficit, but Singapore responded with a winning goal by Angeline, who scored three goals in the match.
Regarding Balkis and Raida’s injuries, Indonesia’s assistant coach, Jaka Muamara, said the pair would quickly undergo therapy. He is sure both players will be able to play in the next match.
In the water polo event, PB PRSI said, the men’s and women’s team compete in a round robin system. The men’s team plays four opponents, while the women’s team plays three opponents. The winner will be decided by the total points gained.
