Ahead Of The 2021 SEA Games: Rivan Nurmulki Just Joined Pelatnas At The End Of April, The Indonesian Volleyball Association Will Send Letters To Japanese League Clubs

Indonesian men's volleyball player, Rivan Nurmulki, has not joined the 2021 SEA Games national training team. (ANTARA FOTO/INASGOC/Dwi Prasetyo)

JAKARTA - The national training for the Indonesian men's volleyball team for the 2021 Hanoi SEA Games has begun. However, there is one player who has not appeared to join.

He is the open speaker Rivan Nurmulki. This Indonesian mainstay player can only join at the end of April. Currently, Rivan is still playing in the Japanese League with the Nagano Tridents team.

"I was only able to return to Indonesia at the end of April because I was still playing with my club in the Japanese League," Rivan said as quoted by Antara, Saturday.

Rivan is one of 14 players who were called by PP PBVSI to join the Red and White squad to face the SEA Games Hanoi. In letter number 152/PP.PBVSI/III/2022 regarding the Summoning of Men's Indoor Volleyball Athletes and Coaches, the national training program began at the Kunarto Police General Padepokan, Sentul, Bogor, West Java, on April 1.

The Head of the Executive Board of the Indonesian Volleyball Association (PP PBVSI) Achievement Development Division Heyzer Harsono also asked Rivan to go home early. His party will also write to the club from the country of Sakura.

"We will write a letter to his club in Japan to allow Rivan to return home early. It is impossible for him to only train together for one week before the SEA Games," said Heyzer.

After undergoing national training, the Indonesian men's volleyball team plans to leave for Vietnam on May 8 or 9. Meanwhile, the opening of the SEA Games Hanoi will be held on May 12.

Rivan is Indonesia's mainstay player in various multi-events. At the previous edition of the SEA Games in the Philippines in 2019, he took part in bringing Indonesia to a gold medal after defeating the hosts 3-0 in the final (25-21, 27-25, 25-17).

Apart from Rivan, the Indonesian squad for the Hanoi SEA Games is also decorated with old faces who appeared in the Philippines in 2019. They are Dio Zulfikri, Doni Haryono, Fahreza Rakha Abhinaya, Dimas Saputra, Nizar Zulfikar, Rendy Febriant Tamamilang, Hernanda Zulfi, and Yuda Mardiansyah Putra.

In addition, there are also other names such as M. Malizi, Farhan Halim, Mauluddani Daffa Naufal, Irpan, and Fahri S. Putratama.

Meanwhile, for the Head Coach position, PBVSI called Jiang Jie from China who became the best coach who successfully brought the debutant Bogor LavAni team to victory in the 2022 PLN Mobile Proliga event.

He will be assisted by two assistant coaches namely Sigit Ari Widodo who brought Surabaya Bhayangkara Samator to the 2022 Proliga final and Indra Wahyudi. In addition, there are Roy Nanlohy's names as trainers and Robby Sudrajat as physical trainers.