Preparations for the U-21 Volleyball World Championships to Begin Soon

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The Central Board of the Indonesian Volleyball Association (PP PBVSI) has summoned 15 male players to compete in the U-21 Volleyball World Championship in China, scheduled for August 18-31. The Indonesian U-21 volleyball team will undergo centralized training starting Sunday (16/3/2025).

The players who were called up are players who play in the Proliga with Jakarta Garuda Jaya.

PP PBVSI announced the player call-up on Thursday (13/3/2025). Most of the players are members of the squad that competed in the AVC Men’s U-20 Volleyball Championship or the 2024 Asian U-20 Men's Volleyball Championship.

"However, there is also a new face. The player called up is one who played in the Proliga with Jakarta Garuda Jaya," said the Deputy Chair of the Performance Development Division of the Central Board of the Indonesian Volleyball Association, Loudry Maspaitella.

Jakarta Garuda Jaya is indeed a team specifically formed as a platform for young players in the national team to test their competitiveness in Proliga. This project is being resumed starting in 2024 as preparation for the U-20 Asian Championship. A similar project was previously implemented during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

Loudry Maspaitella once stated that by playing in Proliga, the young national team players gain experience competing in Indonesia's top-tier volleyball league. Moreover, the opponents they face are more senior than they are. This way, they become accustomed to high-pressure situations during matches.

Among the 15 players, only Hilarius Galang and Imam Ahmad Faisal are not part of the Jakarta Garuda Jaya squad in the 2025 Proliga. Hilarius played for Jakarta Garuda Jaya in the previous season. Meanwhile, Imam Ahmad Faisal is a young player currently exploring overseas competitions.

In last season's Proliga, Imam played for Palembang Bank SumselBabel. The opponent from the Special Region of Yogyakarta was the youngest player (19 years old) at Palembang Bank SumselBabel at that time.

Imam was then recruited by the Japanese Division 2 Volleyball League club, Fukuoka Winning Spirits, for the 2024-2025 season. Earlier in January, Imam made his debut in a match against Fragolad Kagoshima. Although his team lost, he managed to deliver an impressive performance, recording an attack percentage of 44.4 percent.

Imam and his friends are scheduled to undergo a national training camp starting Sunday (16/3/2025) at the Padepokan Voli Jenderal Polisi Kunarto, Sentul, Bogor. They will train under the guidance of head coach Li Qiujiang from China, assisted by assistant coaches Anwar Sadat, Nur Widayanto, and Dodi Ardiansyah.

The Indonesian U-21 men's volleyball team secured a ticket to the World Championship after successfully securing a top four position in the final rankings of the U-20 Asian Championship in Surabaya, East Java, in July 2024. The women's team is also planned to take part in the same event.

Unlike the men's category, the women's World Championship will be held in Indonesia. The certainty of Indonesia as the host was announced by the world volleyball federation or FIVB in its statement in September 2024.

“In the U-21 category, the 2025 Women's World Championship will take place in Indonesia from August 4-17, while the men's edition will be held in China from August 18-31,” the statement said.

Here is a list of players called up for the Indonesian U-21 men's volleyball team.

1.  Imam Ahmad Faisal (DI Yogyakarta)

2.  Muhammad Haikal Hidayatullah (Central Java)

3. Darda Mulya Muhammad (Jakarta)

4.  Ferza Mulya Prasteyo (DI Yogyakarta)

5. Zaki Hasan Maulana (West Java)

6.  Rohwan Eka Saputra (Jakarta)

7. Pajar Pamunqkas (West Java)

8. Farchan Vachrezy (East Java)

9. Bagas Wijanarko (East Java)

10. Fauzan Nibras (West Java)

11.  Dawuda Alaihimassalam (Jakarta)

12. Agustino (East Java)

13. Rizky Attorif's achievement (West Java)

14. Muhammad Reyhan (West Java)

15. Hilarius Galang Bryantama (Jakarta)