Laju Basket Papua Terhenti di Babak 8 Besar

SEMARANG - Perjuangan tim basket Papua secara dramatis terhenti di babak 8 besar.

Tim asal Bumi Cenderawasih ini mesti angkat koper, usai dipulangkan Basket Sulawesi Selatan (Sulsel).

Papua kalah dengan skor akhir 34-37, di babak 8 besar Basket Pornas XVI Korpri Jateng, dalam pertandingan yang dihelat, di GOR Arena Sahabat, Semarang, Rabu (19/7/2023) pagi.

Suasana panas dan tegang berasa final, sudah terasa ketika peluit ditiup wasit yang menandai quater pertama. Aroma balas dendam, diusung tim Sulsel yang kemarin kalah di final dari Papua, saat pertandingan Basket ASN se - Indonesia Timur awal 2023 lalu.

Serangan mental dan fisik di luncurkan oleh para pemain yang membuat para penonton dan suporter pun ikut berapi-api sampai tidak bisa duduk diam saat menonton. 

Meski tertinggal 2-6 di quater pertama, Papua berbalik unggul dengan skor tipis 12-11 di quater dua.

Saling balas poin di quarter ketiga membuat permainan menjadi sangat sengit dan bertukar keunggulan. Alhasil Papua masih bisa menjaga asa dengan keunggulan 21-20 di quater tiga.

Kegigihan dan semangat pebasket Papua tidak sedetik pun menurun, hanya saja keunggulan tim Sulsel tak bisa lagi di bendung. Tim Papua harus tersungkur dengan defisit 3 poin dari Sulsel.

Manajer Basket Papua Jimmy Alberto Thesia menilai kedua tim bermain bagus, hanya saja 

tim Basket Papua banyak sekali kehilangan bola dan poin di bawah ring.

Mental tim Papua ketika berada di bawah tekanan atau saat ketinggalan angka pun menjadi catatan penting. Sebab kerap drop di beberapa laga.

Kendati demikian, Jimmy Albertho mengapresiasi penampilan pantang menyerah anak asuhnya yang terus berjuang tanpa henti mencari kemenangan hingga akhir quater empat.

“Biasanya saat kejar-kejaran angka dan waktu ketinggalan poin, mental teman-teman drop. Anak-anak masih muda. Dari 12 pebasket Papua, 8 usia muda dan kelahiran 98.”

“Jadi memang perlu jam terbang yang banyak. Tapi secara keseluruhan terima kasi,  mereka sudah bermain luar biasa, patut kita apresiasi dan inilah hasil yang harus diterima,” tutur dia.

Pelatih Basket Papua, Jeheskiel Tetjuari menyebut timnya sudah tampil all out menghadapi Sulsel. Hanya saja keberuntungan belum berpihak ke Papua.

“Kita sudah berjuang mati-matian di lapangan tapi memang keberuntungan di pihak tim Sulsel”.

“Intinya kita berterima kasih untuk tim dan Pemprov Papua atas dukungannya, hingga Basket Papua bisa sampai di 8 besar,” tutupnya. ***

SEMARANG - The struggle of the Papuan basketball team dramatically stopped in the round of 8.

They had been eliminated after being returned by the Team of South Sulawesi.

Papua lost with a final score of 34-37, in the round of 8 for Basketball of the Central Java Korpri Pornas XVI held, at Arena Sahabat Sports Center Semarang, Wednesday (19/7/2023) morning.

The hot and tense atmosphere felt like a final, already felt when the referee who marked the first quarter blew the whistle. The revenge carried by the South Sulawesi team who lost yesterday in the final to Papua during the Basketball match of State Civil Apparatus in East Indonesia in early 2023.

The players launched mental and physical attacks, which made the spectators and supporters also fiery so that they could not sit still while watching.

Despite trailing 2-6 in the first quarter, Papua turned around with a narrow score of 12-11 in the second quarter.

The exchange of points in the third quarter made the game very fierce and exchanged leads. As a result, Papua still has hope with a 21-20 advantage in the third quarter.

The persistence and enthusiasm of Papuan basketball players have not decreased for a second, it's just that the superiority of the South Sulawesi team can no longer be contained. The Papuan team had to fall with a deficit of 3 points from South Sulawesi.

The Manager of Papua Basketball, Jimmy Alberto Thesia assessed that both teams played well, it's just that the Papua Basketball team lost a lot of balls and points under the hoop.

The mentality of the Papuan team when under pressure is also important to note when falling behind because it often drops in some matches.

Nevertheless, Jimmy Albertho appreciated his team's unyielding performance, who continued to fight relentlessly to find victory until the end of the fourth quarter.

"Usually when chasing numbers and missing points, their mentality gets dropped. The players are still young. Of the 12 Papuan basketball players, 8 of them are young and born in 1998."

"So, it does take a lot of experience. But overall, I'm thankful they've played amazingly, we deserve appreciation and this is the result we have to accept," he said.

The Coach of Papua Basketball, Jeheskiel Tetjuari said his team had performed all out against South Sulawesi. It's just that luck has not been on Papua's side.

"We have fought tooth and nail on the field but luck is on the side of the South Sulawesi team".

"We are grateful to the team and the Papua Provincial Government for their support, so that Papua Basketball can reach the top 8," he concluded. ***