RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian national futsal team is heading into the 2026 ASEAN Futsal Championship in Thailand, April 5-13, 2026, with a focus on playing their own style rather than defending their title.

Coach Hector Souto emphasized after Wednesday, April 1, training session in Jakarta that he is not pressuring his players to win the championship. “I do not burden the players with results. I only ask them to play our style and give their best,” he said, as quoted by Antara.

Indonesia enters the tournament as the defending champion, having claimed the trophy in the 2024 edition.

In preparation for past tournaments, Souto’s squad trained extensively, spending around two months in Malang, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta, followed by a 10-day training stint in Thailand facing local clubs.

For the 2026 championship, however, the team has had limited preparation time, with only three days of training completed as of Wednesday and two days remaining before departure to Thailand. This short schedule presents challenges in adaptation and cohesion, according to Souto.

Despite the time constraints, Souto is confident his team can perform at their best. “As other coaches have observed, Indonesia has skilled players. A team can play well and lose or play poorly and win. The important thing is that we remain competitive,” the 44-year-old coach stated.

Under Souto’s leadership, Indonesia has enjoyed recent successes, including winning the 2024 AFF Futsal Championship, securing gold at the 2025 SEA Games, and finishing as runner-up at the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup.

In the 2026 ASEAN Championship, the Indonesian Garuda team will compete in Group B alongside Australia, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Brunei Darussalam. ***