HARIANEXPRESS – Defending champions SMAN 1 Blitar (Smasa) are intensifying their preparations for the upcoming Honda DBL with Kopi Good Day 2026 East Java-South tournament, scheduled to be held at GOR Ken Arok in Malang. Despite holding the title, the team is not easing up on their training regimen.
The team’s preparation this season comes with a unique challenge, as players are simultaneously involved in organizing their school’s annual event, Schamp 9. This dual commitment requires players to meticulously manage their time between morning and evening training sessions and their responsibilities as event committee members.
Diego Putra Handoko, a player for Smasa, shared the team’s approach to this demanding schedule. “Our preparation can be considered quite ready. We have sacrificed a lot of time in morning and evening practices,” he stated. He further explained, “DBL preparations are coinciding with the Schamp 9 event at school, so we have to be smart in dividing our time between training and committee duties.”
This shared involvement in the school event has inadvertently become a significant factor in strengthening the team’s unity and chemistry off the court. According to Diego, the collaborative effort required for the event has fostered a deeper bond among the players.
“For team cohesion and chemistry, we have actually started to build it when we were all committee members for this year’s school event,” Diego added. He acknowledged the pressure that comes with defending a championship title, noting that all opposing teams will also have improved from the previous season. “There will definitely be pressure, especially since we want to defend the title,” he said. “Our opponents have certainly developed compared to last season. Therefore, we remain vigilant and will strive our best in every match.”
Smasa is committed to not underestimating any of their potential rivals, with Diego emphasizing that any team competing in the DBL East Java-South has the potential to cause an upset. “Whoever it is, they will remain the toughest opponent for us. Whatever the opponent, we will still try to give our best fight,” he asserted.
With rigorous physical training and increasingly strong chemistry, Smasa is heading to GOR Ken Arok with the clear ambition of retaining their trophy. Their target remains unchanged: “Our target this season is clear, champion again!” Diego concluded.
The Honda DBL with Kopi Good Day 2026-2027 season will span 31 cities across 22 provinces in Indonesia. The event also includes the DBL Camp to identify top student-athletes for the DBL Indonesia All-Star team, alongside the AZA 3X3 Competition and AQUA DBL Dance 2026-2027.
