Jakarta. The Indonesian Basketball Association (Perbasi) is preparing young players to compete in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers. A total of 19 players have been called upon to represent Indonesia in this tournament.

The majority of the called-up players are young talents, with Pelita Jaya contributing the most players. Eight players from Pelita Jaya, namely Aldi Izzatur Rachman, Hendrick Xavi Yonga, Yesaya Saudale, Reza Guntara, Vincent Kosasih, Agassi Goantara, Muhamad Arighi, and Jerome Anthony Beane, are set to carry Indonesia's name in this competition.

Satria Muda follows with five players: Ali Bagir, Widyanta Putra Teja, Julian Chalias, Adrien Chalias, and Kelvin Sanjaya. Dewa United and Prawira Harum Bandung each contribute two players, namely Kaleb Ramot, Lester Prosper, Yudha Saputra, and Pandu Wiguna.

Completing the squad are Daniel Salamena from Rans Simba Basketball Bogor and Matthew Bendella Lingga, who is currently not affiliated with any club.

Jerome Anthony Beane and Lester Prosper are the naturalized players in the squad. The coaching staff includes Milos Pejic as the head coach, with Johannis Winar and Ismael as assistant coaches. Rony Gunawan serves as the General Manager.

"Hopefully, the players, especially the young ones, can make the most of this opportunity, and this event can serve as a platform to gauge their skills on the international stage. We hope that emerging players can step up, combining their talents with the experienced ones in international events," said Rony to reporters on Monday.

Relying on young players is a familiar strategy for the Men's National Basketball Team, as evidenced in the pre-qualifications for the 2024 Olympics.

At that time, the team heading to Syria was filled with young players, including Pandu Wiguna, Antoni Erga, Reza Guntara, Kelvin Sanjaya, Hendrick Xavi Yonga, Mohammad Arighi, and Althof Dwi Satrio. Their efforts were supported by Milwaukee Bucks' Marques Bolden, and the team secured a victory of 91-82 against Kazakhstan.

Against India, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Syria, the Garuda Team did not lag far behind. They lost to India 74-90, succumbed to Saudi Arabia 72-86, were defeated by Bahrain 72-95, and acknowledged Syria's toughness with a score of 76-82.

"We want to maintain the continuity of the team to be competitive at the international level. Therefore, regeneration is a strategic step that must be taken," said Nirmala Dewi, the Secretary-General of Perbasi.

In the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers, the Men's National Basketball Team will start their journey in window 1, taking on the host country, Thailand, on Feb. 22. Subsequently, the Red and White Team will host Australia on Feb. 25, 2024.

"While showcasing their abilities at the Asian level, the gold medal achieved at the SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, must be repeated in the upcoming multi-event," she said.

"With the strength we are building, nothing is impossible for us," she added.

Here is the complete list of the Men's Basketball Team for the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers: 
Aldi Izzatur Rachman, Hendrick Xavi Yonga, Yesaya Saudale, Reza Guntara, Vincent Kosasih, Agassi Goantara, Muhamad Arighi, Jerome Anthony Beane, Ali Bagir, Widyanta Putra Teja, Julian Chalias, Adrien Chalias, Kelvin Sanjaya, Yudha Saputera, Pandu Wiguna, Lester Prosper, Kaleb Ramot, Daniel Salamena, dan Matthew Bendella Lingga.

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