Mission Of The Indonesian National Team At The 2023 SEA Games: Gold Target, Don't Just Be A Participant

Indra Sjafri's U-22 Indonesian National Team Training for the 2023 SEA Games Cambodia. (Photo: Ulfa Gusti Utami/VOI)

JAKARTA - The U-22 Indonesian national team coach, Indra Sjafri revealed the target for the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia. The team must be able to achieve maximum results, not just as participants.

This was a request from the new PSSI General Chair, Erick Thohir.

In order to achieve this target, Indra trained the players in the training camp (TC) at Field A, Gelora Bung Karno, Senayan. This TC has been held since March 1 yesterday.

"Yes, it must be a target. We are in the target (Ketum) for gold medals, we will bring the team and the target must be carried. It's just a matter of being a participant," said Indra Sjafri on Thursday, March 2 afternoon WIB.

"It's been 32 years that we haven't got gold, it must be optimized, don't be pessimistic. That (the gold medal target) must be worked on, this (training is a business) that we are doing for it," he continued.

In this TC, Indra Sjafri calls 34 names of players, of which 60 percent are players who have only joined the national team for the first time.

The players who underwent this inaugural TC did not only come from League 1, but some were League 2 players. The criteria for the players chosen are based on the results of discussions with the respective club coaches.

After the discussion, Indra Sjafri and his team decided to call players outside the regular League 1 players.

"The steps I take are that first of course I have to communicate with the coaches of League 1 and League 2 clubs, because he knows the best about the current condition of the players. Only after that we made a roadmap," explained the coach.

The TC agenda itself will be divided into two waves. The first wave takes place on March 1-8. While the second wave will be held on March 9-16.