Chasing the puck: The Batavia Demons hockey team hits the ice during a training session at the Sky Rink in Taman Anggrek mall in Jakarta.(Courtesy of Batavia Demons)

A number of Indonesian ice hockey players are seeking a way to represent their country at international events, including at next year’s Southeast Asia Games in Kuala Lumpur.

The Indonesian Ice Hockey Federation (FHEI) is not yet a member of the National Sports Council (KONI). This means that the federation is also not in association with the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI), which has the authority to send athletes to international events.

Nevertheless, a number of local ice hockey players have made it clear that they want to represent their nation.

“We really want to play for Indonesia at the upcoming SEA Games. But we do not know how to get there,” Jonathan Sudharta, co-founder and team captain of the Jakarta-based Batavia Demons, said in a recent visit to The Jakarta Post.

In terms of skills, the players have worked hard to show that they know what they’re doing.

Jonathan said Indonesia had the potential to develop the sport as his team, for example, had won several regional tournaments.

The Batavia Demons were born as an in-line skate hockey team back in 1992. In 2013, the team was transformed completely into an ice hockey squad.

Since the transformation, the Demons have brought home at least five trophies, such as the Singapore Ice Hockey Invitational in 2015 and 2016, the Indonesia Ice Hockey Tournament in 2014 and 2015, and the Malaysia Ice Hockey Tournament in 2015.

“It’s a dream come true [to win those trophies],” said Jonathan, adding that the players also dreamed of playing in bigger events including the SEA Games, the Asian Winter Games in Japan, and even 2018’s Asian Games in Indonesia.

Supporting the players, Berdi Sabri of the FHEI said he had lobbied KOI chief Erick Thohir, hoping for an acknowledgement.

Berdi said that seeking a blessing through KONI would be “impossible” for the federation at this time.

A sports federation is required to have a minimum of 10 provincial offices nationwide in order to be a member of KONI.

“It is impossible for us to establish 10 provincial offices. If KONI applies that rule, it’s a dead end for us,” said Berdi.

The sport of ice hockey faces big challenges in Indonesia because it is not a popular sport in the tropical archipelago.

There are only three ice hockey rinks in Indonesia. They are in Jakarta, Tangerang and Bandung.

Speaking for his fellow ice hockey athletes, Jonathan is confident that Indonesian players have the ability to compete against other Southeast Asian athletes.

“At the recent Singapore event, we toppled a Finnish team to win the trophy,” said Jonathan, adding that most of the players at the event in Singapore were Westerners.

The Demons captain said that their love for the sport and their determination to live out their hockey dreams were the keys to success.

In Jakarta, the Demons train at ice skating rinks that are located within shopping malls. The team usually trains for several hours before a mall opens or closes.

“When we do morning sessions, the rink produces extra fog because the air conditioning system has not been turned on. It’s like a blessing in disguise, because the rough conditions push us to sharpen the chemistry between us,” said Jonathan.

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