RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - A narrow 2-1 victory over Kazakhstan has highlighted the growing maturity of Indonesia’s women’s field hockey team, as a new generation of players developed through a long-term program begins to deliver results on the international stage.

The assessment came from Indonesian Hockey Federation (FHI) Secretary General Yasser Afarat following Indonesia’s match against Kazakhstan in the 2026 Asian Games Qualifiers at Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday, April 23.

“This squad is largely composed of former junior players who have been developed over the past six years, and their mentality is now becoming more mature,” Yasser told reporters, as quoted by Antara.

Indonesia's narrow 2-1 victory over Kazakhstan, according to Yasser, provides an important boost for the team -- which is coached by Dharma Raj -- as they compete in Group B alongside Sri Lanka and Singapore.

Yasser said the women’s team has shown significant improvement in recent years, driven by intensive preparations, including a training camp lasting around nine months ahead of the 2025 SEA Games, followed by continued preparation for the 2026 Asian Games.

The team has also participated in several international friendlies, including matches in Hong Kong and Malaysia, which helped improve match experience and team cohesion.

From an experience standpoint, Yasser noted that players are now more composed under pressure. In terms of performance quality, he said the current squad has improved compared to the team that competed at the 2023 SEA Games.

He expressed hope that Indonesia can maintain its positive momentum, secure qualification for the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, and achieve strong results at the event.

Yasser added that the federation has prepared a follow-up program if the team qualifies, including an intensive overseas training camp to further enhance performance.

The training camp is planned to take place in the Netherlands for approximately two months and will involve both the women’s and men’s national teams as part of preparations for Asia’s largest multi-sport event.

Through sustained development programs and thorough preparation, the FHI aims for the national team to remain competitive and capable of challenging stronger nations at the Asian level. ***