Jakarta, IO – Satria Muda Pertamina and Coach Youbel Sondakh had to give in to Pelita Jaya Bakrie in the semifinal match, losing by a score of 0-2. The club failed to win three consecutive Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) championships in 2023.
The club’s fans initially rooted for Satria Muda at the start of the regular season, when the team performed well and was aiming for its third IBL title. Unfortunately, Satria Muda has been inconsistent this season. They were eventually eliminated in the top four.
“I have to admit that this season has not been ours to win. The IBL League is growing, and competing teams are also improving. As a leader, of course I am responsible for SM’s failure this season,” said senior Satria Muda player Arki Dikania Wisnu.
“I do regret having lost the semifinal match of the second game yesterday. If I could turn back time, I would execute the shot myself rather than pass it. I was disappointed. I should have scored at the last second. But, apart from that, I am very proud of my team this season,” expressed Arki.
“I thank all of our support systems: the team’s owner, our families, the coaching staff, the players and of course SM’s fans. We are going to work on our game for next year’s championship,” promised Arki at Kemang, South Jakarta.
Arki refused to admit the accusations made by the netizens that SM adopted the wrong foreign players and was late in regenerating their players. He believes all SM players need to self-reflect on their weaknesses and perform at their best by learning from this season’s failures.
“The coaching staff has done their best; we managed to win last season’s championship under Coach Youbel’s supervision. We have our own system, and our young players are developing excellently,” he said.
“Every practice is a war against ourselves and our teammates; that is how SM shapes its players. We can’t afford to lose to our own teammates during practice and pick-up games,” he added.
“I don’t mind losing to SM’s young players, which means we are growing them. The most important thing is that all players, including our foreign players, must adapt well to our system, despite their positioning,” said Arki.
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This season, Satria Muda’s journey has not been smooth. Apart from the foreign player issue, Satria Muda was also left behind by a number of players who competed in the 2023 SEA Games, leaving only three names from the formerly victorious team. But for Arki, this is not necessarily SM’s failure.
“In the last semifinal game, I was still recovering from ankle and elbow injuries. We were also losing some players, although that is not an excuse. SM will evaluate everything, and we need to stay motivated to play our best. I want to keep playing for Satria Muda until I retire. Satria Muda Pertamina is motivated to win the next IBL title,” concluded Arki. (rp)