JAKARTA - Chairman of the National Team Agency (BTN), Sumardji, spoke up about the performance of the Indonesian U-23 National Team at the 2025 Thailand SEA Games. According to him, the performance of Garuda Muda who was eliminated in the group stage was very unreasonable.
Ivar Jenner and his colleagues' performance was quite surprising for Sumarji, who thought it was far from expectations. This is because the Indonesian U-23 National Team was battered in the first match after losing 0-1 to the Philippines, then failed to beat Myanmar by more than three goals.
"I, honestly, this is the most difficult, most difficult, and most unreasonable team (Indonesia U-23 National Team), yes, at the 2025 SEA Games," said Sumardji at a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
In fact, according to Sumardji, in terms of preparation for the U-23 national team coached by Indra Sjafri, he carried it out very maturely and measuredly. The Indonesian U-23 national team even underwent four trials.
Garuda Muda also arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand, faster, namely about a week before playing the first match at the 2025 SEA Games.
Previously, the 2025/2026 Super League competition was also postponed as a form of support in the preparation of the Indonesian U-23 National Team for the 2025 SEA Games.
"What I also wonder is the quality of the players we brought in is extraordinary, which was said by the diaspora not to participate, now they participate."
"What is missing? We prepared all of that. In my heart and feeling in the beginning, it should be good, at least it can be the final."
"That's why, when the results, in my opinion, luck is far away, this is also confusing me. That's why, it was viral that I was pensive, I was shocked, I think it's strange."
"I'm used to bringing teams, I'm not trying to downplay it, so far in Southeast Asia I've brought the Philippine team, I've never lost," said Sumardji.
Indonesia's failure to reach the semifinals of the 2025 SEA Games was a hard blow. If you look back at the last seven editions, Indonesia has always managed to reach the semifinals and even in 2023 became the champion.
The last time Garuda Muda failed to qualify from the group stage was in the 2009 edition when they became the group's keeper. As a result of this failure, PSSI ended its cooperation with Indra Sjafri as coach of the Indonesian U-23 National Team.
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