IO – A young generation of Indonesian Millennial basketball fans may recognize Toto Sudarsono as a reliable commenter and observer, while Toto has completed his career in the basketball world.
Toto has been active in the Indonesia Muda basketball club as a player since 1975. “I also strengthened IM in the first Gabatama in 1982/1983,” he recalled on Sunday, June 28, 2020.
Gabatama is an abbreviation of the Main Basketball League before it is later changed to Kobatama (Main Basketball Competition). He had strengthened the Indonesian national team in the 1980-1983 era.
In 1987, Toto moved to Pelita Jaya as a player. He became a manager at Pelita Jaya in 1990-1992. “From 1993 until 2003 I was a manager coach at Pelita,” he said.
When Pelita changed its name to Kalila, Toto was still a coach. He was the person behind the withdrawal of Kelly Purwanto and Yudi Mardiansyah from Satria Muda by swapping Kalila’s first draft pick.
He has also handled the Indonesian junior national team. “It was the first year Xaverius Prawiro joined the junior national team,” he said. On a separate occasion, Xaverius once mentioned his current nickname was given by Toto. “Toto was the first one to call me Ius,” said Ius.
He was also an assistant coach for the women’s national team under coach Rastafari Horongbala. “I forgot what year, in one championship in Malaysia,” said Toto.
He has a suggestion for organizing competitions in Indonesia. “Maybe we can adopt the PBA Philippines’ three competitions a year,” he suggested. The first season is a special competition for Indonesian players. The second season including one foreign player under 2 meters tall, while the last competition session includes two foreign players, one with 2 meters height. “Each session would last for three months,” he explained.
In addition to being a basketball commentator and observer, Toto is now a maniac for cycling. “Whenever there is a bicycle race, I take part,” he said. Toto is also often a champion in cycling competitions that he participated in.
Sports cannot be separated from Toto’s life. Greetings to sports. (rp)