Watching the seamless teamwork of the Indonesian floorball athletes, it’s hard to imagine that the team was formed less than three months before the World Winter Games. Training for the Games was a challenge due to lack of equipment and a proper venue. Coach Miftahul Faizin says the team had to borrow floorball sticks from University teams and move across various venues to train.
“In central Java, floorball isn’t a popular sport and it’s hard to find a fixed venue to train," he said. "We called sports centres and schools to book their courts, but they were often full and we would be turned away.” Refusing to give up, the team sometimes made do with empty conference rooms, using makeshift nets and boundary markers. It was especially challenging for athlete Ivan Okta Setyawan, who has a hearing disorder. His coach picked up sign language to communicate the rules of the game. Despite the odds, they are gunning for gold.
"Confidence is key. Never say never," Miftahul said.